Rebirth of the Ozuno
by LadyOnyx8
Summary: The destruction of the Ozuno didn't retract the death warrant on Mika's life or the demand for Raizo's blood. Raizo's determined to protect Mika even if he has to destroy the remaining clans to guarantee it. Raizo/Mika
1. Chapter 1

There comes a point in every human existence despite the trials and tribulations afflicted on us that mold the perception of one's self yet an experience so profound to our very makeup sends you over the precipice of true understanding. Rendering you forever changed, reborn.

He recalled one such experience. The screech of metal as the door leading to his cell slid open. Mika strode in with several guards trailing behind. Screams and gunfire from the lower level resounded off the concrete walls.

"Mika, get out of here!"

"Not without you!"

And she had meant it. Proven it time and time again, every time she had saved his life. True it had been to her benefit. Just logical to ensure her survival was what he told himself. Yet Mika had several opportunities to ditch him and make a run for it but would not. Now he knew her heart was too pure to consider such a thing.

Looking down at her, Mika's cocoa bronze skin looked somehow washed out. Absent was her usual vibrant glow. Thankfully her special heart had saved her life. Being stabbed through the chest would require a long time for her to heal and he used this reasoning as he once again passed just a portion of the Ozuno legacy on as he healed Mika.

He melted into the shadows before a nurse entered the room. She briskly performed a check of Mika's vitals and left. He resumed gazing at her, the bronze glow already starting to return to her skin. Again, he wondered the same question. Why had she come into the dojo? She was safer with Maslow and his men but she had left them and come looking for him. From their first meeting, if that's what you'd call it, Mika had know exactly what he was, a killer. And despite that, she cared for him anyway.

Raizo grimaced at having to leave her protection to Maslow and Europol but it was necessary. Instinctively, he leaned down placing his ear above her heart mindful of the bandage peaking through her gown and listened. He would know the staccato beat of Mika's heart anywhere yet he had never before heard it this close. The heat of her body radiated out warming the side of his face and her scent, a cross between jasmine and citrus, filling his nose as he took slow deep breaths. A soft smile graced his lips as his heart matched the steady thrumming of Mika's.

"Raizo," Mika mumbled faintly her eyes closed yet trying to fight the drug induced sleep her brow furrowed. Was she dreaming of him? Or did she sense him?

"Shh, Mika sleep," he whispered in her ear burying his face in the crook of her neck. A shameless act with her unconscious, but she calmed and surrendered to sleep.

Mika slipped her key into the lock of her apartment door. Before it fully opened, Maslow pushed past her into the room gun extended. Drawing her own weapon, she followed. They swept the apartment including the closets and under her bed flipping on lights as they went before Mika finally relaxed. Adrenaline spent, she collapsed on the couch while Maslow paced back and forth returning to the argument they were having ten minutes earlier downstairs in his car.

"Right, now pack a bag and don't fuckin' argue, Mika, and don't give me that look. This isn't over. I keep trying to tell you. Command has ordered Europol to go after the remaining clans and your ass is still in the hot seat."

"Yeah, Ryan I heard that part!" she sat up temper giving her still healing body a burst of energy. "Heard it, right after you told me I've been suspended, indefinitely pending a full inquiry." They were going after the Clans yet they were putting her out to pasture, the one person who had any info on their activities or possible locations. It made no sense. Their eyes met and Ryan looked pale and slightly ill. Something else was going on here.

"And did you stop to think why?," Ryan yelled back. "Why I was ordered to assign just two teams to you, parked downstairs right now, no surveillance cams, no wire, nothing, just the four fucks downstairs?"

As his words sunk in, Mika ears started to ring as her heart roared like a freight train in her chest. During her week in the hospital and their return to Berlin she had been worrying about Raizo, his disappearance after the assault on the camp and if he was even still alive. She'd let tunnel vision take over so she didn't have to think about anything else. Ryan had smacked her back into full focus. She was in big trouble and the agency knew it. They were cutting their losses slowly distancing before leaving her to dangle like a worm on a hook. She couldn't help but understand their position recalling the image of too many body bags being loaded onto the chopper. Fallen agents that would never see their families again because of her. At least the death toll would be one this time.

"I'll be fine, Ryan. You said it yourself, you've got two security details on me, not to mention this." Mika opened her hand to reveal the panic button he'd given her at the hospital when she had finally demanded to be released. The doctors were flabberghasted by her quick recovery and became a little too eager to run additional tests for Mika's liking. Ryan's eyes narrowed and gave her a long intense look that made her stomach twist into a knot. He knew exactly what she was doing.

"Mika, I'm not leaving you here. Maybe if … I'm not leaving you alone."

"She's not alone," came his deep whisper. It had Mika jumping off the couch.

"Raizo," she cried unthinkingly throwing her arms around him and burying her face in the fall of raven hair at his neck. She felt him stiffen at the contact as if tensing for a blow but after a minute he slowly relaxed. She swore she felt him kiss her brow or more likely he was smelling her, recalling his comment about wolves. Raizo broke her embrace turning to Maslow who stood eyes bugged hand frozen on his holstered gun. Mika remembered Ryan had never witnessed a ninja materialize from the shadows. Few had and lived.

"You are right, Maslow. Mika is not safe here. It is a matter of time before the remaining Clans come for her. She will be safer with me." Still a little stunned by Raizo's appearance, Ryan took a moment before nodding.

"The ninja of all people speaks sense. I've been telling her that she's not safe here anymore for the last ten days but she's too damn stubborn. ," Ryan replied acidly.

"Hello, I am still in the room," Mika said annoyed. This time Ryan and Raizo turned on her like a pair of angry vipers.

"Pack, now," they said in unison. Confronted with two angry males, she conceded and went into the bedroom to pack.

"Mika," Zipping her suitcase, she turned to find Ryan standing in the doorway his expression forlorn in his rumbled suit.

"What is it?" He didn't answer but crossed the room and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Take care of yourself. You need anything. You call, ok." Realizing, this was goodbye and she had no idea if she would ever see him again, Mika returned it with one of her own ending with a kiss to his stubble strewn cheek as he released her.

"Alright, I want you to check in regularly until this shit storm is over. I don't give a fuck what Jameson says, we're going to need you to clean up this mess. I have a feeling this is far from over and your boy agrees with me."

"Okay, I'll find a secure way," she said following him as he carried her suitcase to the door.

"I need a way of getting in contact with you. Make it happen," Ryan said to Raizo.

"Done," was Raizo's reply as he picked up Mika's suitcase and left the room. Ryan gave her a look before pulling up his pant leg to reveal a holstered gun strapped to his ankle. He handed it to her kissing her on the forehead and walking out the door. The moment the door closed she started to feel closed in making her heart jog in her chest. She felt someone just behind her and instinctively knew it was Raizo. Maybe it was his smell? She turned to look at him.

"I didn't think I would see you again. You just disappeared. …didn't even say goodbye."

"I was waiting for you. I needed to make some arrangements" he said in his deep whisper. Most of his injuries were healed. The only mar to his perfect face she could discern was a faint scar on his forehead. Her hand touched the bandage on her chest.

"You did something, didn't you? To me?" she looked up into his face eagerly waiting to analyze his expression. His dark chocolate eyes appeared to be doing the same as he stared down at her for a moment before giving her a slight nod.

Amazed, she nodded right back then said "Thank you. Why because you owe me one or cause you'd miss me?" she teased. He took a step closer. She could feel heat emanating from him seeming to warm the surrounding air.

"Yes to both," he whispered in her ear. The words, a slight disappointment but his proximity was so distracting she didn't complain. "Mika, the other clans will send someone else to kill you or to use you to find me. Let's go," he said holding out his hand.

Again without question, Mika took it. She had sailed past the point of no return the moment she saw the recording of Raizo. There was no going back to her old life. Being alive was as good as it was going to get for the foreseeable future.


	2. Chapter 2

They drove for the next twenty four hours, straight since Raizo permitted her to drive. She was forced to mention her skill behind the wheel had saved his life before he relinquished the keys. They sped through the night only stopping at a motel just before dawn.

Wiping condensation from the bathroom mirror, Mika couldn't help but wonder who was staring back at her. It looked like her on the outside, anway. She knew she wasn't the same person she'd been a few weeks ago. If someone would have told her then that not only would she be toting two guns around like Lara Croft but also spending her free time with a retired assassin, she would have told them to lay off the drugs and alcohol.

Mika wrung her hair out as best she could and braided into two long plaits that were bound to unravel within the hour. After Raizo informed her that her suitcase and most of its contents were now on a city bus, she made a list of things she needed as asked. Mika refused to add blow dryer to their survival shopping list. Now, she thought of look on Raizo's face if she had included it and caught herself giggling.

She could see his finely sculpted face, his intense smoldering eyes, and those lips. Those full lips pulled into a sexy smirk. She caught herself touching her own lips remembering the kiss she'd given Raizo. She had wanted to feel his lips on hers but a stolen kiss followed a betrayal was too much. His forgiveness for the act was like a tourniquet removed from her chest.

Gun in hand, she cracked the bathroom door. "Raizo," she whispered knowing it was all the sound he needed. A lamp was turned on bathing him in amber light. He came to the door with a cigarette in one hand and a backpack in the other.

"You will have to travel light. Change quickly. We're getting back on the road," he said handing her the pack. He stopped abruptly. Mika instinctively looked down at herself a little panicked, "What?"

"Did you change your bandage" he asked with the same deadly serious expression he wore when securing their hotel room. Mika cringed. She hadn't had to change it herself yet. So far every time she'd attempted to look at the wound on her chest, she felt light headed and sick to her stomach.

"Since you're turning green that would be a 'no'." Mika looked up only to meet that same sexy smirk. He pulled out a chair, "Sit." Ducking to hide her mortified expression, she complied.

Dropping his bag on the table, Raizo withdrew gauze packets, antiseptic, and tape. He turned back to Mika in time to watch the white cotton robe slipping from her shoulder exposing her back as she pulled her left arm free. She leaned forward against the back of the chair with her head down. The only blemish to the creamy cocoa skin of her back was a square of gauze below her shoulder blade. With gentle fingers, he removed the tape followed by the bandage. He felt her shaky sigh through his fingertips as she tried to relax.

"So, do we have a plan or are we just touring Eastern Europe?"

"Now, we're heading south to Prague and yes, touring also. It helps confuse the scent trail. I've got a contact who has arranged travel for us to Athens. We will need a secure location to hold up and observe the Clans' activities before making a move," Raizo said allowing his fingers to linger while smoothing the tape in place.

"A contact, someone from the Clans?" She asked looking over her shoulder at him.

"Done," he announced as he stood. "No, not from the Clans but experienced with them. I trust him. He has aided me in the past." Mika shifted in the chair causing the robe to drop low on her spine revealing the rise of her hips for just a instant then the tempting flesh was obscured by cotton as it was repositioned. Turning to face him, he saw she had pulled the neck of the robe wide to reveal the swell of both breasts. Her eyes were closed as if she were before a firing squad and didn't want to see it coming.

"Are you squeamish now, Mika?" he teased trying to mask the deep breath he took to calm himself as he set to work. It was taking more concentration than necessary to change a simple dressing.

Eyes still clenched tight, Mika said, "No, hanging out with you has definitely cured me of that. Closest I got to the action before I was marked for death were crime scene photos in a case file. I know I'm being idiotic. It's just that…looking at it. It freaks me out a bit when I think about it."

"Me too," Raizo offered quietly applying the antiseptic ointment to the cut before replacing the bandage. Finished, his eyes lingered over her, the rise of her breasts to her delicate collarbones up the long line of her neck. Their eyes connected for a long moment the quickened thrumming of her heart filling the silence. Suddenly, a low rumble emitted from Mika's empty stomach dissolving the strange tension in the air.

Raizo stood quickly and began repacking the bag. "Hungry? We will eat on the way out of town. Hurry, Mika." He felt her fervent gaze slide over him then heard her retreat to the bathroom. Raizo's movements stilled hearing the robe slip over her skin as it fell to the bathroom floor. Mika was becoming a distraction, one he could not be without but a distraction none the less. When she returned, his normal calm façade was back in place. Raizo did not meet her eyes while trailing a lit cigarette around her like purifying incense. Dropping it into the ashtray, he said "let's go."

Mika's eyes snapped open to the sound of a car door slamming. Still a little groggy it took her a minute to take in where they were. The night was choked with fog, but she quickly saw that they were in an industrial, no, a shipping area. Cranes loomed high above like shadows in the thick fog. Raizo stood some fifty feet from the car, a lone figure in the mist. Three figures appeared in the distance walking towards him, yet he advanced to met them. She barely heard their garbled exchange. Abruptly, there was something about the change of his stance, a tensing like a large cat prepping to strike, that had her drawing the gun from her bag and checking the clip.

During the long trek to Melnik, Raizo had finally filled her in on the plan. They were going to buy travel documents and ID's under several different names to keep off the grid. 'Mika, stay in the car'. He didn't trust this particular seller having never done business with him. Yet their time constraints forced his hand allowing his contact to arrange the sale. 'And Mika, stay in the car'. That time she had rolled her eyes. The third time, she glared with her own daggers of death but he just gave her that sexy smirk.

A tap on the glass had Mika jumping in her seat and thanking god she had not released the safety yet. Following the sound, she looked up at the sunroof. A giant of a man with a shaved head and a nasty scar down his left eye leered down at her. A tongue that resembled a slug slithered from between his vile lips. He made a revolting gesture that had bile churning in her gut. Her eyes skittered to the locks confirming Raizo had locked the doors. Mika exhaled a slow breath as the giant stepped away from the car followed by three other men. They disappeared from view as they descended to the pier approaching Raizo from the rear.

Several things happened simultaneously. Mika heard a single gun shot accompanied with angry shouting. She saw one of the men topple to the ground body still twitching despite his missing head. The rat-at-tat of a machine guns roared as the remaining men started firing randomly into the surrounding night seeming to echo off the dense fog. She had seen Raizo in his element, in battle, before but from this angle it was all the more terrifying. Again and again, he emerged from a shadow that was impossible to disguise him. Yet it did. Only the flash of steel in the gloom and death wails left in his wake were evidence of his passing.

Mika sat mesmerized by this deadly dance oblivious to the giant's approach. A crash resounded through the car and she was showered in glass. A thick hand grabbed her by her neck hauling her from the car like a kid picking up their favorite doll. She managed two shots, one going wide and other punching a hole through the giant's foot before the gun was wrenched from her grip. Both hands free, she scratched at the enormous hand slowly cutting off her air supply. She climbed him bracing both feet against his abdomen while trying to get a little slack but his grip only tightened. As a black void began to creep into her vision, Mika saw Raizo drop to one knee as a bullet tore into his shoulder before he faded into the shadows.

"Where the fuck is he? Do you see him?"

"What the hell was that? Petriv said this would be an easy score. What do we do, now?"

"Kill the bastard. I have an idea. Vlad, bring the bitch here."

Mika kicked desperately but to no avail as the giant dragged her over to the others. He transferred his grip from her neck to her wrists. The man who'd referred to her as the 'bitch' coiled a rope around her wrists effectively shackling them together.

" You're boyfriend wants to play hide and seek. We'll teach him a new game."

Mika spat in the man's face. He shoved her hard sending her bouncing into the human wall who lifted her only to dangle her over the edge of the pier. Fighting back the urge to scream, Mika looked down unable to see the water below but she felt the icy spray right through her jeans.

"Now, Chinaman. We would hate to drown the b…" The clink of a metal cut off his words as a hook pierced the man's throat splashing his companions with a torrent of arterial gout.

"Fuck you. You want the bitch. Take her then," the giant bellowed. Mika plummeted through air hitting the freezing water. Her breath left her lungs in a whoosh from the impact. She tumbled not sure which way was up. Until finally, her head broke the surface only to slam into one of the pier supports. Her burning lungs and struggling numb limbs became unimportant as Mika sank into the void.

"Mika," Raizo roared as she dropped from sight. With a flick of his wrist, the chain unwound from the dead man's neck as he watched the last man. The tall man was weighing his options. He stared down at the rope in his hands trying to make a point. Raizo didn't wait to hear his bargaining. He kicked him square in the chest sending him flying. Catching the rope, he wrapped it around the struggling man's neck and looped a length of rope around the railling before hurling him off the pier. With the man's enormous size as a weight, it took seconds for Mika's hands to appear. He grasped the rope long enough to unwind it from her chafed wrists.

He pushed back her mass of raven curls noting the bleeding cut on her forehead. She wasn't breathing. He took a deep breath for calm before he could remember what he knew of CPR.

"Mika, please, please Mika," he chanted. He felt her spring to life before she began spitting up sea water. Relief swept over him so fiercely, Raizo had to place his ear to her chest before he could steady himself enough to walk back to the car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you much for the reviews. Now we've come to the reason for the M rating. I warned you. So if it's not your cup of tea, don't complain. You knew it was on the menu. Thanks again, and review, review, review.**

Raizo drove the BMW into what outwardly appeared to be an abandoned warehouse before coming to a garage door. He exited the car. He unlocked and raised the door. Dropping back into the driver's seat, Raizo drove deeper into the building. He finally stopped the car on a thick metal grate over the shaft entrance then dialed a code into a scanner device. With a groan of metal, the elevator descended. Raizo's eyes swept the underground apartment before opening the passenger door. Mika tried to get out the car but he merely picked her up and carried her through a thick metal door. He placed her on the bed.

"S-Sorry, I … c-can't s-stop-p-p shak-king," she chattered. He had to get her warmed up but the entrance needed to be secured. He fretted for an instant but it had to be done.

"Stay here, Mika. I'll be right back." When she finally nodded, he slipped from the room. Raizo returned to find an empty bed but followed noise to a nearby bathroom. Mika lay in a ball fully clothed beneath the spray on the shower floor.

"Mika!" he hissed as he turned the water off and snatched her up from the tiles. She was shaking so badly her drenched curls framing her face were bouncing. "What were you doing?" He couldn't hide his temper.

"Ssscennnt," she chattered as he cradled her in his arms. He pulled a robe from the door and wrapped her in it. She was right though. Mika, Mika, thinking like a ninja.

"II… had tttooo." He kneeled sitting her on the bed. She curled into a tight ball still shivering as she studied him, something she did frequently.

"Mika, we need to get you out of these wet clothes. I bought you clothes, size 36," he finished wryly. He felt his pulse quicken and was thankful Mika's hearing was not as acute as his own.

Eyes closed, she smiled broadly as if dreaming and did not move. Her heart rate slowed as she slipped into sleep. He would risk her privacy over her health without question. Raizo pulled the robe off, unzipped her jacket, and slowly removed the wet leather. The wet denim jeans were more difficult. By the time he slipped the shirt over her head, his hands trembled slightly. He left her undergarments in place. Silencing his mind, he quickly dressed her in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Raizo slipped her smooth golden legs under the covers and turned off the bedside lamp

Raizo grabbed his bag before entering the bathroom. He slipped out of his clothes adding them to the bag where he placed Mika's sodden clothes. He adjusted the water temp before ducking in for a quick shower. He didn't want to leave her for too long right now. He reveled in the hot water as it began to unravel the knots in his muscles, sluicing the tension from his body. He finally felt at ease, a first since he had gotten out of the car at the pier. Raizo had sensed something was wrong but it had been necessary. They needed those documents. He didn't have time for his contact to make other arrangements.

Yeah, necessary had almost cost him Mika. The bastards had wanted her, not for the possible bounty on head but for her body. They were slavers. Mika was 'just the exotic jewel they'd been looking for' as the man had put it, right before Raizo had stabbed him in the throat. He would have to keep her close for now on and teach her how to shoot properly. Thoughts of concern for his brave librarian turned carnal.

He recalled the slip of her soft skin beneath his calloused hands, the firm muscles of her thighs as he wrenched the wet jeans from her hips, and the sight of her black panties. He had heard others speak of their appeal but never fully understood. Raizo had allowed weakness to cloud his mind. He looked down at the evidence. It stood defiant and aching for release. Raizo began to stroke himself with speedy efficiency taking no pleasure in the act as usual. It was merely a necessary physical release. Thoughts of Mika destroyed his attempts to keep his actions perfunctory. Instead he slowed his stroke and widened his stance as he permitted fantasies of he and Mika to flood his brain. Raizo's head fell back as he felt his spine arching damn near vibrating with need, a hunger for release unlike he had allowed himself before. The memory of the flawless line of Mika's spine ending with just a glimpse of the cleft of her backside sent him over the edge. Moaning low in his throat, Raizo's hips jerked forward as hot semen splashed his stomach and hand.

He drew in deep breaths trying to calm himself. His brow resting against the cool tiles. Raizo realized he tasted blood. In his desperation to stay quiet, he had resorted to biting his lip. He tried not to think of the irony of the ninja not being able to stay quiet. Raizo stepped into the stream of hot water rinsing away the mess. He quickly finished his shower and dressed before emerging into the bedroom.

Mika lay in the fetal position tossing back and forth disturbing the sea of ringlets and curls flowing over her pillow. He couldn't make out her mumbled noises but one word rang clear, his name. Plans to sleep on the floor were forgotten. Raizo laid down next to Mika above the covers. He stared up at the ceiling for awhile just listening to that rhythm that was uniquely her allowing settle and relax him. She shifted bringing her head to rest on his shoulder. Lying here like this with Mika gave Raizo a strange sense of … peace was his last thought as Raizo was lulled into a light sleep.

Mika emerged from the murky depth of sleep slowly. She felt warm, near boneless with relaxation, and surprisingly safe. The feel of cool skin beneath her cheek had her struggling to the surface. Languidly, her lids rose and a strange room came into focus along with her hand resting on a pale scarred muscular chest, and a dusky pebbled nibble. In her sleep, she had draped herself over Raizo. Her head rested on his chest, hand on his chest, and her leg sprawled over his thighs. Frozen from embarrassment, it took her a minute to realize Raizo's hand rested on her back. She felt the faint movement of his hand and soft tugs on her hair as he twirled a ringlet around his finger. She closed her eyes in contentment just enjoying the sensation of being this close to him but memories from last night crashed her mental party. She shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"No, just remembering," she said, her voice a little hoarse. Raizo sighed deeply before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Mika. We…" She cut him off with a stroke of her hand along his chest.

"I know, Raizo, We didn't have a choice. I get that," she said softly her hand continuing to trace lightly over the multitude of scars littering his chest. It was amazing. She remembered the mass of deep bloody cuts he had suffered in Berlin. Had seen them with her own eyes. "Where are we, anyway?"

"We're safe for now. It's an underground safe house near the Prague Airport. Our private plane leaves for Athens in eight hours." His normal voice sounded almost dreamy now and breathy. She shifted slightly and felt either a result of his usual morning 'condition' or her effect on him pressed firmly against her thigh. Emboldened, Mika purposely grazed one fingertip over his erect nipple. Quick as a flash, he restrained her roving hand by encircling her wrist with two fingers.

"Mika," he said, voice gruff from annoyance or frustration. Mika wasn't sure which but thought she detected a note of yearning. Not for the first time, she wondered about Raizo's sexual experience. From what she could tell from the little time she'd known him, Mika doubted he would have even thought about sex. His sole purposes in life had been survival and revenge.

She was about to move once again when he returned her hand to sit above his heart. Mika was positive the gesture meant a great deal to Raizo, who didn't say or do anything without an efficient purpose. She would have to remember to take things slow with him.

"Is that our final destination?"

"For a time, there's a safe house there where you can do your research from a secure location," he replied in his usual calm tone.

"You'll be there too, right? Your not going to disappear on me, again?" She felt panic invade her pleasant mood as she sat up tangled in the sheets and nearly feel off the edge of the bed. Raizo gripped her upper arms to steady her then began rubbing them in a soothing gesture.

"Mika, Mika, calm down. I won't leave you but I will have to make a few trips without you, eventually. It will be the safest place for you. Mika, look at me."

She opened her eyes and plummeted into his sable gaze. They shone with an intensity she'd only seen during a fight.

"I won't leave you, Mika, not until I know you'll be safe," Raizo said with firm conviction. She nodded. Wetting her dry lips, she took a deep breath before speaking.

"You never answered one of my questions."

He released her but said nothing.

"Why did you save me?" she asked suddenly nervous. Raizo sighed heavily as if she'd asked the very question he would have preferred to avoid. He gave her a long study before speaking.

"The first time, it was to destroy Ozuno," he said watching her closely. Mika nodded, she didn't completely believe it but wouldn't argue.

"And now?" she prodded. His expression softened and for an instant Mika swore she was glimpsing a man she'd never met. Someone similar to the man she knew but with twinkling expressive eyes and a devilish smile at the ready. Just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone replaced by Raizo's usual stony countenance.

"Come on Raizo. You've saved my life how many times since my apartment where I came inches from being decapitated? You could have taken off and left me so many times but you didn't. Why?…What… are you laughing," she sat back stunned.

"Okay, don't laugh, you ass," she finished hotly. Though she bit back a smile as another deep chuckle escaped him. She swatted at him. Raizo put his hands up palms out as if in surrender.

"Mika, I'm not mocking you. I laugh because I've wanted to ask you the same question but the librarian had more courage than the assassin. Why did you come back for me?" he said firing a question back at her with a smirk she found irresistible. Instantly sober, she stepped closer while he looked down at her.

"Because, I care about you, Raizo. I can't stand the thought of something happening to you."

Again that stranger with the vulnerable eyes stared out at her. On tip-toes, Mika stepped even closer one hand coming to rest in her favorite spot, above his heart, the other tugged lightly on his hair. When he titled his head down, she finally placed her lips against his. She nibbled softly at his bottom lip then flicked her tongue along the seam of his lips. She felt his muscles tense. They were nearly jumping beneath her touch. He leaned into her then began mimicking her movements with such skill it had Mika whimpering low in her throat. Raizo was a quick learner. Pulling herself away, Mika rubbed her lips with her fingertips while Raizo licked his lips. They stood a few feet apart, eyes locked on one another. She could still feel those soft lips against her, feel all that hot skin beneath her hands. Mika blew out a long breath. Holy shit, she needed a cold shower before she stole her ninja's virtue. She decided to change the subject.

"So, I'm starving. What are we doing for food?" She asked looking around distractedly for her pack. Raizo handed it to her.

"While you're in the shower, I'll step out for something. I'll be back by the time you're done." he replied. She nodded heading for the bathroom. Suddenly something donned on Mika. She stopped dead halfway to her destination before turning to look at Raizo and nearly fell to the floor from laughter. The ninja assassin was blushing fiercely and trying to cover his erection with one of the pillows. The normal master of invisibility was not having much success with the small round throw pillow. Mika played along and focused on his face.

"How did I get in this," she asked tugging on the hem of what she recognized as one of his shirts. He turned away from her. Mika choked back a gasp as she saw the scars that skewered his back. Briefly, she wondered if there was a single part of Raizo that didn't bare scars but banished the thought.

"After the encounter with the slavers, you were soaked but then you decided to shower with your clothes on," he said smugly. She recalled some of what he was saying. He continued, "I had to get you into dry clothes, Mika. Or you would've become ill."

She nodded and blushed remembering which pair of panties she had worn with her sports bra, her most ridiculous pair, black lace. Her face burned as she made a beeline for the bathroom.


	4. Chapter 4

As promised, when Mika returned Raizo was laying out sandwiches and fruit on a low table next to the bed. She deliberately took the chair from the other side of the room and dragged it over to the table. He said nothing just watched until she was finally seated then motioned to the place he set for her. They ate in silence for awhile before Raizo broke it.

"You need to contact Maslow. Can you manage that safely over the internet for now?" Raizo pulled what looked like a slim metal binder from a bag. He opened it revealing a laptop that looked amazingly high tech.

"Let me guess, ninja school," she replied dryly. He graced her with a quick grin. Just like that, the effect of her cold shower was a distant memory.

"I'm sure he's waiting to hear from me by now. So he'll be looking for anything out of sorts. It should be no problem. What should I tell him?"

"Just tell him you're alright and that you're checking in."

There was something in the way he said that first bit that had her staring at him. She was sure he pretended not to notice the attention as he finished his meal and rose.

"Wait, where are you going?" Mika said rising from her chair dropping the remaining half of her sandwich. Raizo snatched it from midair and placed it on the table shaking his head.

"Calm down, Mika. Come with me." He caught her around the waist and turned her toward the hallway. It extended for several feet ending with a large mirror. She felt the heat of his hand on her hip through her jeans as he led her to stand on the hallway's carpet runner.

"Do you see the room off to the right?" He pointed at the mirror.

Mika saw the empty room bathed in flickering candle light in the mirror's reflection. She nodded.

"I'm going to train. I won't be far," he said brushing past her down the hallway. Calling back over his shoulder, he said, "contact Maslow. Eat and rest. We leave in five hours."

She watched him walk away allowing lewd thoughts to cloud her mind. Bloody hell, what was wrong with her? 'I'm like a cougar in heat' she thought. Better expel this energy, mentally. She sat down grabbing the laptop. Raizo was working off some energy of his own by the feel of the hard flesh that grazed her backside when he passed. She smirked as she booted up the laptop and picked up her sandwich. At least ,she wasn't the only one with an over abundance of energy, Mika thought smugly.

Raizo condensed his usual routine down to four hours and still included full weapons, chains, double swords, and shuriken. At one point, he heard Mika tip toe down the hall and felt her eyes on him as he worked out. He summoned the sound of her scream as she disappeared over the edge of the pier or when Ozuno's blade had pierced what the bastard assumed was her heart. His mind instantly focused ignoring her presence and subsequent retreat. Drenched in sweat but feeling good, he used the connecting shower and dressed quickly.

"Ready?" he asked.

Mika was barefoot laying across the bed engrossed in whatever she was reading on the laptop's screen while scribbling furiously on a pad. Her topaz eyes glowed in the light from the screen. The way she nibbled on her lower lip absently made Raizo let out a deep sigh. The intense workout, the shower, and the second shower to clean up from the first one were… useless. Mika mistook his groan as irritation with her for delaying them. Shamefully, he did not correct her merely watched as she jumped up.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm coming," she said shutting the laptop down while she crammed random objects into her pack. He grabbed the laptop and slipped it into his messenger bag before she could.

"Raizo, what happened?" She extended her fingers to stroke along his bottom lip. The contact sent a shiver down his spine.

He picked up their bags as a distraction while mumbling something about a training accident. He looked up to see her standing next to the door, hand on the knob waiting for him.

"Let's go," Mika said mimicking him.

After a short drive, they arrived at the airport to find the plane ready and waiting. Raizo grabbed their bags from the trunk and headed for the plane with Mika close at his side. Climbing aboard, he stowed the baggage and turned to leave but stopped. He purposely turned to Mika. She sat in a leather lounge chair. He didn't miss her nails clawing the arms of the chair as she watched him like he was a ticking bomb. He softened his expression slightly.

"I'm going to dispose of the car. It can't be found here," he said. Knowing how intelligent she was, he said nothing more just waited. She relaxed minutely but took a breath finally and released her death grip on the upholstery.

"Ten minutes, tops. Time me," Raizo said with a cocky grin.

Mika beamed at him then looked her watch. He slipped back out the door before she spoke again. Within seconds he was behind the wheel and speeding away from the private airport. He ditched the car in the long term parking at the airport. He flitted through the darkness like a bat to arrive with two minutes to spare and startle the hell out of Mika. She wasn't on board as he wished but pacing back and forth glancing at her watch.

"Fucking hell, Raizo," Mika swore as he appeared to rise up out of the shadows near her feet. "Don't do that," she yelled swatting at him. Her shouts had alerted the crew. Raizo turned to face them as a group of men rounded the nose of the plane. Upon sight of him, the largest of the group, Ivan Titus, motioned the others away. He bowed slightly. Raizo returned the gesture and signaled their departure.

"Holy shit," he heard Mika exclaim for the third time since they boarded. Raizo smiled eyes closed as he listened to Mika tour the luxury jet and swear repeatedly. He opened his eyes at her approach.

"Okay, which ungodly wealthy person do you know that would let you borrow this… this ...flying palace," she nearly spat. He quirked a brow at her. Not the reason for the swearing he had anticipated. Mika, Mika, always more intelligent and pure than he gave her credit for.

"Our borrowing this jet and another tomorrow are merely repayment for a favor."

She quirked up at this and sat across from him temper forgotten.

"Another plane? Wait, I'm confused. I thought you…".

Raizo cut her off. "Mika," he said sitting up. "We will be making a few random stops and starts along the way. We will never approach our destination with a direct approach. Never forget we're being hunted." She took a few deep breaths taking his words to heart and nodded. He laid back down closing his eyes then spoke.

"Besides, are you really so disgusted with our mode of transportation?"

"Yes, but no matter how disgusted I am, I'm sleeping on that waterbed."

Mika smiled as she watched a grin spread over Raizo's face. With his eyes closed and his face relaxed, he resembled an angel carved in stone yet she knew his skin was soft and supple. She stroked her lips … daydreaming about his… focus, she told herself. She snapped back to reality to catch Raizo watching her from across the cabin. Cheeks flushing like a teenager caught with a dirty mag, she cast around for a change of subject.

"Yes, um, yes, like I was saying before," she said a little too loudly by Raizo's expression. "Oops, forgot I was talking to 'Mr. I can hear you breath'. Sorry", she said playfully.

"No, like I was trying to tell you in the car. I don't think you're the only Ozuno left," Mika said unsure of Raizo's reaction to what she was about to tell him. He sat up again and nodded for her to continue in his subtle way.

"I started with east Asian newspapers starting the day of the raid looking for anything strange. It took a little bit of digging but I found a needle in a haystack. Three days after the raid, there was an article in a Hong Kong tabloid about a local wealthy businessman's son returning after being missing for years. The child was reportedly kidnapped four years ago. Parent's paid the ransom but the kid was never seen again. Presumed dead until a week ago. Article gets strange from there. The parents believed the boy possessed by a demon."

At Raizo's raised eyebrow, she continued, "they said the boy could merge with the darkness. They tried to have him exorcised but he ran away. Don't take offense but the first time I saw you come out of the darkness I could have easily have lost my head and thought the same thing."

He seemed to consider it for a moment and nodded.

"Raizo, please hand me the laptop," she asked while pulling her notes from her own pack. She nearly missed his stunned look, both brows raised and eyes bugged like someone had just grabbed his ass. Mika kept her eyes downcast trying not to laugh. What had she said? What, his name… and the word …please, she thought. It said something about the quality of one's life when simple recognition and courtesy stymied them into immobility. She felt her temper flare but tried her best to mask it as she thanked Raizo when he placed the laptop on the table. Again she wondered what he had endured? What the boy from the article had endured.? Booting it up, she quickly located the file then the article she was seeking.

"I did several searches on the parents and the address. This appeared in their local paper yesterday," Mika said stepping back to allow Raizo a better view. She watched his face as he read about the death of the parents in a house fire days after the initial article was published. The deep exhalation like a weary growl coming from him surprised her. He turned to regard her and she knew he understood. Just like that, Raizo saw the big picture.

"How many others did you find?" he asked quietly but Mika felt his anger like a gust of wind foretelling the violent storm to follow.

"Five, cases similar to this one but I need to dig deeper to be certain. Plus, …," she broke off. He turned mercurial eyes on her that made her want to cringe away one moment and cuddle him the next. In for a penny, in for pound, she thought.

"Raizo, there were children at the Ozuno compound. I saw them after the siege. Nearly twenty, I think and a few older people. Europol took them into custody. I've emailed Maslow for more info."

He jerked up out of the chair as if tazered startling Mika. Eyes jumping in his sockets, chest heaving, he stood fists clenched at his sides. She reached to touch him but stopped sure he wouldn't welcome the contact right now.

"I haven't heard back from Maslow, yet but… it looks like someone may still be hunting the Ozuno. This is all speculation. I could be wrong," she offered.

"No, Mika, you're not wrong and you know it." Raizo said staring at the picture of the little boy that was inset on a photo of the burnout remains of what was once the Ushiru home. Watching Raizo's face as he continued to stare at the screen broke Mika's heart.


	5. Chapter 5

"_Wherever you are, wherever you may go, you must never forget who you are. How you came to be. You are Ozuno. You are part of me as I am part of you. This is the truth of your lives and it will remain true after death."_

Raizo's eyes sprung open with the old man's growling voice still buzzing in his head. Carefully, he unclenched his fist from the hilt of the blade hidden in his jacket. Calm returned watching Mika still sound asleep in the chair next to him. Sunrise pinkened the sky sending rays of light into the cabin. They slide over her catching the copper tones in her hair and bronzing her skin. She looked angelic, the faint scar on her brow barely visible. Raizo snorted thinking back to earlier, after she told him about her findings, about the children. She didn't look angelic then. Mika had looked pissed.

"Raizo, don't do this This!" She had advanced on him stabbing her finger at the picture.

"This is not your fault. The bastard who murdered that boy's parents and burned down his home is at fault. Don't you dare blame yourself."

Stopping abruptly, she had put her hands out as if worried he considered her a threat. She truly was, making him think and feel things he had never permitted or considered until he met Mika. The children hadn't entered into his plan which consisted of killing Ozuno before there was no life left in his body. Whichever came first. Raizo had needed the old monster's blood on his hands. Needed it so bad that he had condemned the innocent to die and not even thought twice about them.

"That child was kidnapped, taken from a family that loved him. You freed him as much as you freed yourself because none of those children chose that life. They were forced. Am I wrong?"

When he didn't answer, she stepped closer cautiously watching his face. Then took another so that she was directly in front of him. Peering up, she placed her hand over his heart. Mika leaned against him placing her head on his chest. Shuddering from an emotion Raizo could not name, he closed his eyes resting his head atop hers and expelled a weary sigh.

"Am I wrong," she inquired again and Raizo felt arms slip around his waist.

"No," he replied. Mika had hugged him fiercely.

He continued watching the sunlight play over her face while she slept but his thoughts strayed back to the young ones, either dead or in the hands of enemy clans. Both equaled the same, death. One was simply quicker. He was still shocked at himself never once thinking about the possible danger to the innocents of the Ozuno. The lessons of the Ozuno did not include innocence, only strength and weakness.

"Pain breeds weakness. You must hate all weakness. Hate it in others but most of all hate it in yourself."

Raizo sucked in a breath as the words echoed back at him. Recovering, he watched as Mika's eyes slide open.

"Good morning," she smiled. She's looks … beautiful, he thought.

"Morning. How do you feel?" He looked pointedly at where her wound lay. Mika promptly covered her chest.

"Pervert," she said snobbishly yet smiling. Raizo face burned as if standing too close to a roaring fire.

"No…no, I … no," he stammered feeling the heat spread.

Mika laughed profusely for several minutes before she seemed to be able to contain it, barely. The sound had a peculiar effect sending the warmth radiating down into his chest.

"I'm just teasing you. Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm fine, Raizo. And you? Are you alright?"

The tenderness in her tone enticed him to actually answer. "Yes, Mika. I am."

She stood stretching like a cat after a long nap. He watched intensely before turning to look out the window trying to prevent that warmth from spreading lower.

"Good," she said bending down and giving him a peck on the lips. She picked up her pack and headed for the bathroom. Raizo noticed, not for the first time, Mika was just as lovely from the rear as from the front.

The cockpit door opened emitting Ivan. He walked into the galley and proceeded to make coffee from the sound and smell. He worked in silence but Raizo could tell Ivan was waiting for the right moment to speak. Ivan sat drinking his coffee and made a point of looking around before finally turning to Raizo.

"Where's your friend?"

Spontaneously, Raizo felt his anger ignite out of nowhere like a strike of lightning on a clear day then depart.

"Bathroom," Raizo answered. Ivan gaped at him with disbelief.

"I'll be damned. Shit, I owe Alexi fifty Euros," the big man laughed.

The door to the bathroom opened and Mika entered scenting the air like a wolf.

"Is that San Lorenzo I smell? I'd take any coffee substance right now. But that smells…heavenly."

"Well permit me," Ivan said smiling, all teeth, as he rose and passed her a cup. She threw her bag aside carelessly to grip the cup and saucer in both hands.

"Thank you," she inhaled deeply her lids fluttering. "Thank you, Mister …"

"Yes, our friend here is dreadful at introductions. I am Ivanovich Titus, Ivan, to you Miss."

"'Ivan, nice to meet you. I'm Mika Coretti. Very nice of you to give us a lift. Do you own this beautiful plane?" she asked blowing on her coffee. Raizo restrained a smile at her false tone.

"Thank you. But no, it's not mine, part of the family business. My brothers and I run a private charter company among other things, This little trip is going down as a maintenance flight disguised as a family trip," Ivan finished coyly returning to the galley to retrieve another cup of coffee and plate full of Greek pastries. "Please help yourself."

"How do you two know each other? If I may ask," Mika helped herself to baklava looking from Ivan to Raizo.

"Let's just say, a few years ago my father and I found ourselves in a similar situation as yourself, with a death sentence. When Raizo stepped in. He saved my father's life and my brothers and I repay the life debt whenever needed. It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Coretti," Ivan said returning to the galley. He filled a thermos with the freshly made brew.

"We land in about forty-five minutes. The car will be waiting for you. We'll be hold up in a hanger down in Piraeus for the final leg to the island. Now let me get Alexi's coffee to him before he starts whining like an old woman," Ivan chuckled before retreating to the cockpit.

Mika turned to him. "How many like me have you saved?"

"A few, but not enough though," Raizo said grimly.

The next five hours were a blur. Between the plane trip, the drive to the shore, falsely checking into a hotel, then a final flight, Mika was dead on her feet when they landed on an airstrip on one of the Cyclades Islands. Or so she thought before, she surveyed the landscape. With the perfect lighting cast by the setting sun, it resembled a picture straight from a travel brochure. The white sand and the brilliant blue of the water were just visible through the trees to the south. The small private airfield sat nestled in a thicket of trees on a hillside. She followed a serpentine road from the parking lot where two jeeps sat idling on up the hillside to a rocky outcropping where lights were visible. It wasn't until they were making the bumpy ascent that Mika realized it was a house built into the hillside with the rocks almost blocking it from view. Their little convoy passed through an intimidating looking gate and into a courtyard.

The villa was enormous in the classic style boasting white walls with vibrant blue accents. She tried to maintain the same attitude she had about the plane but could only manage awe. Alexi honked the horn and a herd of children ran out to greet them.

"Where's Grandfather?" Ivan called. Most passed their jeep going for the second and began unloading bags and boxes of food and supplies.

"Fishing", they chorused. Ivan turned to Raizo and Mika in the backseat.

"Rest for now. Miss Coretti, please make yourself at home. I'll see you two at dinner. Father will be back by then. Count on it. Come on you, jackals" Ivan laughed climbing from the jeep.

Raizo seized their bags and walked across the courtyard away from the large house. Mika watched as the two brothers and the mass of laughing and shouting children thundered into the house before following after Raizo. They ascended a set of steps carved into the rock, through a stone arch, and onto a plateau baring a small Japanese style structure. He stepped up onto the porch that surrounded it. Leaning the bags against the wall, he quickly removed his shoes. Mika watched for a moment before bending to remove her own but Raizo beat her to it. Never in her life had a man touching her feet become anything remotely sensual until now. He seemed to be taken with her manicured toes as he took his sweet time to lower her foot. Both the exterior and interior décor were at odds with the main house below. The shoji screens, polished bamboo, and sparse furnishings were defiantly not Mediterranean.

"Is this your house?" Mika asked eyeing him.

"No, this is the guest house they grant me when I must stay." She noticed a set of swords artfully displayed on a wall shelf but said nothing. She continued touring the little house.

"Wow, these safe houses are getting better and better," she said staring out at the view of the sea from the bedroom. Mika smiled at the little hand sewn decorative pillows littering the bed, identical to those from the safe house in Prague. She continued touring the house and moaned when she entered the bathroom. It held an open shower and a soaking tub. She slide her fingers over the two silk kimono styles robes hanging on the wall.

"Guest house," she said smirking.

Mika deliberated with herself then slide the screen open a crack.

"Raizo" she called softly and returned to the bathroom vanity. Within seconds he was behind her. She spoke to his reflection.

"I'm sorry. I tried to do it myself but …I would have to ask for your help anyway for my back but I tried to …" she broke off at the feeling of him pressed up against her back and met his steady gaze in the glass.

"Guess I'm just a coward," she mumbled while positioning her robe.

"No, Mika, you are no coward," Raizo purred in her ear and placed his lips to her bare shoulder. She melted into him turning her face into the crook of his neck. She stood like that with her eyes closed almost enjoying his slow moments while he changed the bandage. She startled slightly when he purred in her ear again.

"Bend over." His gruff voice made her thighs moist. She obeyed leaning over the vanity but watched him with hooded eyes in the mirror. He appeared to be staring at a point much lower than her back. He gnawed his bottom lip while she watched him work. He slide his finger over the tape then glided the calloused digits to trail up her spine to base of her neck. Involuntarily, her back arched and hips rolled rubbing along his erection. The silk robe slipped lower displaying her left cheek. Raizo hissed dissolving the erotic fog. She pulled her robe up and turned to look at the real thing rather than a reflection. Mika had witnessed his normal stony expression yield to show pain, smugness, concern, and fury. Never once had she seen panic. She would have sworn the express he wore as he walked backwards as if backing out a lion's den was terrified panic.

"I…I setup the comp…you should … check the …"

"Email," she said giving him a soft smile. "Yes, I'll check to see if Ryan responded."

"I'm… going … to …"

"Train," Mika finished his sentence again biting back a laugh. She was enjoying this adorably flustered Raizo.

"Yes," he said a little too loudly and left the bathroom sliding the screen shut. His outline lingered for a minute before she saw it recede. She stared at her reflection and let loose a long slow breath attempting to throw her hormones into neutral. This tension between them was becoming unbearable. He seemed interested. Mika thought that their little heated moments were felt on both sides or had she imagined it. Hell, she'd felt his interest on more than one occasion. . As a distraction, she decided to make full use of the blow dryer and flat iron neatly displayed on the vanity. When she finally met Mrs. Titus, Mika was going to kiss the woman.

She was greeted by the scent of Jasmine rather than cigarette smoke lingering throughout the quaint house. She padded barefoot to the galley style kitchen and made a cup of coffee. Sitting at the desk, she sipped and while her eyes followed Raizo. He stood on a empty flat stone patio a few feet from the house performing moves with two swords that were both beautiful and chilling.

She started checking her various ghost email accounts. Two new messages since her last login. A quick tap of the keys and she was reading Maslow's email. The first was cryptic, one word, 'Delgado'. The second was a series of random numbers and letters, almost like a binary code.

"What the hell, Ryan," she said frowning and putting down her coffee.

Thirty minutes later, Mika was dialing a number into one of the disposable cell phones. Beginning to doubt her code breaking skills, maybe there was a wrong digit, but was rewarded when Maslow picked up on the third ring.

"Ryan Maslow"

"It's me," Mika said dropping her feet from the desk. That quick, she knew something was wrong.

"Hold on" he said. After a few minutes, he returned, "Mika, thank God. Where the Hell are you?"

"Um, in a tropical paradise," she said shrugging.

"What?" She could almost see him snarling at the phone.

"I think it's best if you don't know, Ryan. You got my messages, the second one?"

"Yeah, I got it. You have a nose for shit You know that."

"Uh, I'll try not to be offended by that."

"No, you stumbled onto something and got me thinking. The day before one of our safe houses was compromised. Unsuccessful, no one was there when it was breached. Two days before, the Kang family had retrieved their son. We had them staying at that safe house, Mika. Kid had appendicitis or else they would have been there."

Mika stood gripping the phone staring at Raizo as his movements ceased. She knew he heard by the snarl of his lip as he stood chest heaving and bathed in sweat watching her.

"W-where are they now?"

"Safe, for now at a secure hospital. I got that list for you. Twenty-seven minors in all, ranging from seven to sixteen were all taken into custody, along with an elderly man and two woman. Most are in various safe houses but seven of the kids were returned to their parents."

Ryan paused. She heard him take a deep breath. "As soon as I got your message, I had teams sent out to bring them in but… We were only able to bring in one family. The others, family murdered and children either dead or taken. What the fuck is going on?"

"We don't know!"

"What do you think is going on?

"I think someone is … wiping out the last of the Ozuno."

"They're kids, Mika," Ryan bellowed.

"Dammit, don't ask me to explain it, Ryan. In the Clans' eyes, they are still Ozuno. All of the survivors are in danger. You have to keep them safe."

"Yeah, I know, working on it. I'm sending you a list of names and their files. Check-in with me in forty-eight hours. Take care of yourself, Mika."

"Yeah, you, too," she said closing the phone.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you sure that I should be wearing this. It seems a bit much," Mika whispered as they passed under the stone arch. She stopped opening the shawl that draped her shoulders and looked down at herself. Raizo welcomed the view. It was the first time he had ever seen Mika in a dress and oddly it pleased him to no end. It was strapless and fit tight to her slim waist while the ivory fabric flowed over her hips stopping just above her knees. She had straightened her hair and piled it loosely on her head revealing her graceful neck.

"Yes, you should be wearing that," Raizo replied.

She was fidgeting with the top trying to cover the edge of the bandage unsuccessfully. He held his hand out for hers and she took it. No matter how many times she freely accepted his touch, it still staggered and delighted him.

He led her down to the courtyard and into the house. They walked into the foyer and followed the most delicious smells down the hallway and into a large open kitchen. Several young woman were chattering and bustling about filling dishes and pulling out stacks of plates and glasses from the cabinets. They continued out of the kitchen door and into a garden area where a large dining table was set for nearly twenty guests.

There was a crowd of people milling about all dressed for a dinner party. Ivan and Alexi were among the group, each with a strikingly beautiful woman at their side. Mika was extremely thankful for the dress after observing the other guests attire.

"Raizo, my boy so good to see you, again."

Mika watched as an older man in his late sixties or early seventies limped toward them. His skin was deeply tanned and his sandy hair was shoulder length with streaks of silver . Though he hobbled slightly with the aid of a cane, he had a youthful air about him as he rushed to greet them. Raizo bowed respectfully and the old man returned the gesture.

"Come, let us eat," Mikhail Titus shouted to the gathering crowd. He patted Raizo's shoulder lightly as he limped past. The patriarch sat at the head of the table with his wife, Valentina Titus, at his left and Raizo and herself to his right which Mika thought odd. Mikhail Titus was not what she'd envisioned from Raizo's brief description. Mikhail was a retired General turned black market weapons dealer after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Watching the couple of forty years joking and bantering with their eleven children, and their spouses, Mika marveled at how life changed a person. Mikhail made a joke about sex on the first date while winking suggestively at Valentina who blushed. A symphony of groans and gripes was unleashed and Mika laughed uproariously enjoying herself. After Maslow's call neither had felt like dining but neither wanted to offend their host. She turned slightly wanting to witness Raizo's reaction to the domestic scene and her breath hitched. There he was again, that man with chocolate eyes so full of life and an innocent smile. He was observing the teasing insults of the nine Titus brothers with a delighted smile. She'd seen this man before, just glimpses but here he sat amongst the family he saved. Was this the man Raizo would have become? It was a miracle he had survived.

"Miss Coretti, we were overjoyed to learn that Raizo was able to help you," Mikhail said turning his grey eyes on Mika. "We are so happy to have you here with us much safer than Berlin." The old man raised his glass as if toasting but just downed the contents.

"Thank you for …wait. What?" she turned to look at Raizo then back to Mikhail.

"Are …you his contact on the Clans?"

The old man gave her a sinister smile, "Among other things."

Two hours later, Mika and Raizo ascended the stairs. They were crossing the stone patio when Mika stopped. She turned to watched the Titus family meandering down the hill towards the beach on their evening constitutional as decreed by Valentina. A smile, unlike her usual one, crossed her face as she gazed after the boisterous group. It didn't reach her eyes making him feel … unsettled.

"Mika"

She turned to him revealing tears welling in her eyes.

"Mika, what is it? What's wrong?" Raizo asked pulling her to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm being silly," she said shaking her head and trying to hide her face. He wrapped an arm around her waist holding her in place and wiped at the tears now streaming down her cheeks.

"Mika, please, tell me what's wrong?" Raizo persisted cradling her against his chest as a breeze fluttered their clothing.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong. I'm … tired and …," she uttered a weak laugh. "I'm just glad you found them …met them. That's all. They seem like … a very special family," she said calming down and turning away. Raizo followed her gaze watching as lanterns and several flashlights bobbed along as the family traversed the beach. He could hear the uproarious taunts of the siblings and Mikhail cooing to Valentina as they brought up the rear of the procession. They were special. Raizo and Mika continued watching and listening to the roar of the waves and whisper of the wind.

"Do you think they are still alive, Raizo? The kids?"

He hugged her to him wishing he could tell her what she needed to hear but he could not lie to her.

"I do not know but either way, I'll find them.

Clinging to sleep, Mika tried to slide closer to Raizo's warmth only to feel cold sheets. Instantly awake, she surveyed the moonlight dappled room. It was empty. She tamped down a bubble of panic. Listening, she thought she heard sounds coming from the bathroom. She slipped from the bed and padded down the short hallway.

The sky was still so thick with night that they couldn't have slept but a few hours. Hearing the sounds of water, Mika realized Raizo must be in the shower. Curious, she stood before the bathroom door. She heard to the pitter patter of water hitting the tiled floor and a muffled groan. Shocked at her own daring but unable to resist, Mika slid the screen open just a crack and what see saw had her choking on a gasp.

Raizo stood in the open shower water beating down on his lean muscular body. She had never seen such an exquisitely naked man in her life though he was covered in scars. His mane of raven hair was plastered to his skull as he dipped his head into the spray. He had one hand supported against the wall and the other stroking his engorged cock. Mika felt heat pool in her belly. She wet her dry lips and pressed closer for a better view. She was surprised Raizo didn't hear her but he was otherwise occupied.

Her gaze slide up his muscular calves and thighs to his clenched cheeks as his hips rocked back and forth. His long steady strokes reached a frenzied crescendo that had Mika biting her lips and squeezing her thighs tightly together. Raizo's head snapped back teeth clenched and a stifled groan escaped at his release. His head dropped forward again as he drew in long ragged breaths. Abruptly, he snapped upright as if scenting the air.

Oh no, she thought taking a step back but unable to tear her eyes from the view. He turned and their eyes meet.

"Mika." he called softly.

Shit. Panicking, she stumbled backwards only to trip over her own feet landing on her ass. Wonderful, a bruise to mark the humiliating occasion. She scrambled up, jumped back into bed, and childishly pulled the covers over her head. What the hell had she been thinking and then to get caught. Oh god, I'm such a pervert, she thought. Mika lie there biting her lips and listening.

"Mika," Raizo said his voice tentative and unsure, very un-Raizo. Still cowering under the blanket, she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. What the hell could she say? I'm sorry I watched you jerking off. Just thinking it, she felt her cheeks flushing. The image of him popped in her brain and she thought maybe the embarrassment was worth it.

"I am sorry, Mika," he said sounding forlorn. What? Stunned, Mika snapped upright tossing the covers back.

"What are you sorry about, Raizo?" She looked at him and was both disappointed and thankful he had wrapped a towel around his hips. There was a slight blush to his cheeks and a miserable expression twisting his sublime face. It took her a moment to remember he still had not answered.

"What could you possibly have to apologize for?" she asked shaking her head in exasperation. He said nothing but his eyes lowered as if he were … ashamed. A sneaking suspicion had the lid on her temper sliding open a crack.

"I'm the one that should be apologizing. I'm the one that was watching you like some peeping tom…,"she blustered her volume raising.

"Tom? Who's Tom " Raizo asked brows winging up. She gave a strangled chuckle.

No … uh, it's a an expression. I'm the PERVERT here okay," Mika said and realized she was yelling. She stood on the bed walking to stand before him.

"I was watching you, Raizo. I didn't have a right to invade your privacy. I'm so sorry," she said looking down at him. She caught his startled expression.

"You're not mad?" he asked with trepidation.

"Why would I be mad at you," her voice involuntarily rose an octave . He fidgeted nervously and seemed to be avoiding her eyes. He focused on the floor, her toes, the bed, anywhere but her face. She brought her hand up under his chin so he was looking at her. She traced her finger from his chin along his jaw to cup his cheek.

Feeling him lean into her touch, she asked softly, "What reason would I have to be angry with you?

"How can I keep you safe if I'm … weak," he whispered.

"Weak? You are not weak. Anybody that could say that needs their fucking head examined. Is that what they told you, the Ozuno?" she asked sliding her hand into his wet hair combing through it with her fingers.

"It was forbidden," he said quietly.

"It's perfectly natural, Raizo. There is nothing wrong with what you were doing."

His only response was to resume averting her gaze. She tried to reign in her temper. She wasn't upset with him but with those who had programmed him to think that his body's need for physical contact, for affection and pleasure were something disgraceful, forbidden.

"Everyone does that. If they told you that it was something bad, told you it was forbidden, they did it to control you. They did it so you wouldn't live, wouldn't feel. Everyone has that need."

Finally, he gazed back into her eyes. His expression unreadable as she stroked his cheek.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been staring at you without your permission. I had no right to that to you," she repeated.

"You have my permission," he whispered gracing her with her favorite smug smile.

"Thanks, now I don't feel so bad about checking out your ass in the shower," she said with a weak laugh..

"You were checking out my ass?"

"I was checking out a lot more than that, Raizo," she gave him a naughty wink that had him blushing. Unable to resist, she lowered her lips to his, kissing him until they were both breathless before pulling away. She didn't want to make him more uncomfortable than she already had.

"Come back to bed," she said pulling back the covers and patting his spot. He didn't move for a moment just stared at her transfixed before he finally complied. She pulled the blanket over them both and cuddled up close to his side. She was just thinking that maybe this sleeping position was the reason for his need to 'shower' at this hour of the night when Raizo spoke.

"Mika"

"Mm," she replied eyes closed.

"You said everybody does …"

"Yes, nothing wrong with it."

"Do… do you?" Mika's eyes bugged. She hadn't seen that one coming. Well she couldn't lie, not to Raizo. He'd know for one and given his history she didn't want any lies between them even one as small as this.

"Yes," she said feeling her cheeks burn. She watched as he sat up to lean over her.

"You do?" His voice gruff and eyes somehow darker than usual.

"Yes," she repeated the feeling heat pooling in her belly and lower reigniting.

"Since you watched me, can I watch you?" he asked timidly. Mika gasped and felt her whole body burn. Oh yes, Raizo was definitely a quick learner.

"You want to watch me …touch myself." she could barely say it aloud.

"Yes," Raizo said his voice husky and lids heavy. "Please, Mika." he pleaded.

Shittt, I'm going to do this, she thought. And the 'please' had been the nail in her coffin. Serves her right for being a pervert.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thank you so much for the reviews. I appreciate your feedback. Sorry for the prolonged cliffhanger (and any damage I may have caused your ladyparts, Ichigo holic. LOL). My plot bunnies escaped and I had to track them down. I'll try to update more often. Thank you again and review, review, review.**_

The silence in the room became deafening. Worried Mika would cast him out of the very bed she'd insisted they share, Raizo wished he'd used his brain before opening his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Mika. I did not intend to …" he broke off as her hot little fingers pressed against his lips shushing him.

"You didn't offend me…just caught me off guard. I don't' suppose you can help yourself and I should be used to it by now," she said sitting up nibbling her lip. She glanced nervously at him then seemed to steel herself as if prepping to take dive off a cliff.

Grasping the hem of his shirt, she slipped it over her head and tossed it on the floor. Raizo sucked in a ragged breath. His gaze consumed her as Mika slide panties off her hips and down her legs. She lay back against the pillows eyes closed and bare before his eyes. He had seen nude women many times during his shadowed existence. But this was different. He felt his already sated manhood stir then harden like concrete while he memorized the landscape of her sylph-like body.

Eyes sweeping up to her face, Raizo noticed Mika was now savaging her bottom lip. Something about the nervous action beckoned to him. Instinctively, he leaned down and swept his tongue over the abused flesh making her gasp. Unable to resist, Raizo pressed his advantage and devoured her lips and mouth. The tender swipes and flicks of that sweet tongue inflamed his senses and their soft kisses quickly turned into a voracious duel. Hypnotized by Mika's responses to the rhythmic thrusting of his tongue, his hand slide across the silken skin and felt her tremble. Raizo snatched his hand back realizing he had been about to cup her breast. He stared at the offending appendage as if his hand had suddenly evolved a mind of its own.

"I'm sorry, Mika … I," he panted. She ignored him and took his hand placing it above her heart.

"It would be more … educational. If you … assisted me."

She peered up at him through her lashes. Her topaz eyes held a carnal gleam to them that had his blood revving in his veins. Brain finally processing her words, Raizo could only manage a nod. With her guiding hand as encouragement, he cupped and squeezed her perfect breasts. Unbidden, his mouth watered as her nipples stiffened reminding him of ripe berries. An irrepressible appetite overcame him and he lowered to take the nipple into his mouth. Mika moaned pressing the flesh deeper into his possession. Her panting and noises of pleasure to his sucks and flicks of his tongue to her delicious berries were his only guidance.

Raizo's attention shifted when he saw Mika's hand skim down her body. As she reached the sparse hair covering her mound, one knee rose up and outward revealing herself to him. He was utterly captivated. Her fingers began stroking the pink folds of her sex like the petals of some exotic orchid. Seeing her like this, breasts heaving with beads of sweat glistening on her stomach and thighs, soft moans escaped that angelic mouth at her climax, was far better than anything he had imagined. Raizo had never felt so … aroused in his life, never felt more alive.

He skated his fingertips over her belly leaning in to slide his tongue into mouth. He felt drunk on the taste of her and the scent of their arousal. Raizo slid his hand down to join hers. A wanton moan escaped her slender throat. He swallowed her next moans as honey coated his fingers while he set a frenzied pace against the tender flesh of her sex. She gasped clutching at his shoulders drawing him down. Nervously, Raizo came to rest on top of her. She smiled up at him then shifted bringing his cock to rest between her thighs. He hissed yet automatically flexed his hips to grind against her core. The fluffy cotton towel separating their flesh now felt like steel wool on his sensitized skin. Impatiently, he pulled it off flinging it aside. He felt a heat so intense what little self control he had left crumbled. With a mindless fervor, he rocked and grinded the head of his cock against the slick hot folds of her pussy.

"Mika…," Raizo groaned feeling the precipice fast approaching but unable to stop his hips.

"Don't stop," she uttered writhing to meet his thrusts. He seized her mouth in a searing kiss. Hips snapping, he rutted against that consuming heat surrendering to the sensation pulsing through him. Raizo roared her name in release splattering her sex and stomach with his seed and collapsed. He rested half on her side with his head nestled beneath her breast. His arms hugged her waist while still trying to catch his breath.

Raizo started when something rough brushed against his still quivering member. Opening his eyes, he glimpsed Mika using the damp towel to clean away his …. Shittt. Blushing, he tensed to rise but Mika held him tight to her body and intertwined their legs.

"Shhh, go back to sleep," she whispered. Her fingers lazily ghosted over his skin drawing soothing circles across his back then up and down his spine. They were tunneling through his hair making him purr like a contented cat as he succumbed to sleep.

Raizo woke before dawn as usual but did not move. He knew a busy day lie ahead of them. He should commence his workout now but still he did not move. He lay there wrapped in her warm embrace listening to his favorite melody playing in his ear. Far better than any meditation he had learnt over the years. Though he knew he didn't deserve such a thing, Raizo would like nothing more than to wake up like this for the rest of his days. He just didn't know how to make that happen.

Mika felt Raizo's comforting weight pressing her into the mattress when she woke. Unconsciously her fingers resumed stroking his silky hair as she had when they'd fallen asleep. Her mind replayed the events of last night. Things had gotten a little out of hand. Especially since she was suppose to be 'taking it slow' but she couldn't bring herself to regret it. Mika just hoped Raizo felt the same way. Their little make out session was the most erotic thing she'd ever done. Sadly, it was more … satisfying than with her previous lovers. Even sadder, her list of lovers consisted of three men. Okay, this is truly a case of 'the blind leading the blind' if I'm in charge of Raizo's sexual education, she thought glumly.

Mika was uncertain what to expect today between the two of them. Most men would not handle last night well the morning after. Hell from her limited experience they weren't around the morning after. But Raizo was not 'most men' and his experience was nonexistent from what she understood. It was that fact which sent another wave of apprehension flooding her thoughts and tainting her calm mood.

Lifting his head and resting on one elbow, Raizo said, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Mika's voice quavered slightly betraying her anxiety. By the quirking of one brow, Raizo hadn't miss it. Climbing up to lie next to her, he took her hand that was twisting the sheets into a knot and placed it in his palm. He seeming to marvel at the differences.

"Mika …," he seemed to be searching for the right words, "I'm…" Mika cut him off.

"If you apologize, I'm going to … poke you in the eyes," she threatened with a grim smile.

With another quirk of his brow and that sexy smirk she adored, he said, "I wasn't going to apologize."

"You weren't?"

"No, I was going to … thank you. It sounds strange but … thank you," he said stroking her knuckles. "Will you still attempt to blind me?"

Returning his rueful smile, she said, "no, I think I can restrain myself. So .. no regrets?"

Mika tried her best to keep her voice and expression nonchalant while scrutinizing him intensely. His dark eyes were burnt sienna in the morning light as their gazes locked. A beatific smile brightened his adorable visage transforming him before her eyes once again.

"I've never regretted anything to do with you, Mika. Never," he said bringing her knuckles to his lips. She bit her lip feeling Raizo kiss against each digit.

"Wait," he said intertwining their fingers. "There is one."

She flinched involuntary clutching the blanket to her chest but schooled her face as best as she could. Unable to find her voice, she imitated his subtle nod for him to continue. He leaned in brushing his lip against her earlobe. The tension dissolved leaving her skin so sensitive it tingled from his warm breath.

"I regret not being inside you … but I hope … my education … will continue," he said pausing for emphasis to trail kisses down her neck. She tilted her head giving him better access.

"Would you object?" he asked pulling back. She blinked. Her blushing ninja had advanced to seducer at lightning speed. Two could play that game. She leaned into him letting the sheet fall so her nipples brushed against his bare chest.

"No, besides you're … education is too important," she whispered against the corner of his mouth before capturing his lips in a carnal kiss. Feeling his hardened arousal against her thigh, she pulled back from him reluctantly.

"We need to get dressed. I'm sure Mikhail has been up since dawn in his lab. He'll have already started working based on the information you gave him at dinner," he said eyes trained on her breasts as she wrapped the sheet around herself.

"Ladies first," he said motioning to the shower.

Smirking, she rose enjoying the view. Raizo rested against the headboard his erection standing proud.

"You could join me. It would be more efficient, two birds one stone and all that," she offered. His eyes darkened with lust and his member flinched.

"I don't think we would make it to Mikhail's lab if I do," he replied gruffly. Smirked heading for the bathroom because it definitely hadn't sounded like a 'no'. She felt his heated gaze follow her all the way down the hall like a warm caress on her backside.

Hand tightly clasped in Raizo's, Mika followed him down a stone passageway through a medieval looking metal gate imbedded in the rock reminding her of the days when pirates roamed the Aegean and Mediterranean. They walked onto a metal landing in a large cavern. Their was a elevator that she envisioned was originally designed for mining shafts. Raizo proceeded to a staircase next to the elevator. Looking down as they descended a wrought iron spiral staircase, Mika saw Mikhail sitting in at a large console consisting of five LCD monitors looking surprisingly at home banging on the keyboard. One of the younger Titus brothers, Nico was bending over his shoulder commenting on whatever they were viewing. Ivan, Alexi, and a tall man she didn't know were working at a long work table that was littered with electronic parts.

"Raizo, Miss Corretti, Good morning. I thought I would have to send someone to fetch you. Did you sleep well?" the old man inquired his eyes still glued to one of his monitors.

Mika felt Raizo tense slightly and she tried her best not to blush.

"Fine, thank you again. Mr. Titus for having me," Mika replied. He turned from his task removing his glasses. Under the scrutiny of those grey eyes, she felt examined and assessed. Despite his jovial nature, she could imagine he made an intimidating figure. He rose to take her hand and led her over to the long work table.

"Nonsense child and call me Mikhail. I am just overly eager to show off my humble abode. Plus I've been itching to get my hands on the scroll you mentioned last night."

By the time Mika was seated Raizo was already setting up her laptop. He also removed the metal box containing Sabatin's research. Déjà vu tinkled her mind as she pulled out photocopies then began laying out the scroll. A little tense, Mika stood back allowing the others to view the documents. For some odd reason she felt protective of all the items Mrs. Sabatin had entrusted to her and her alone. Must be a librarian thing, she thought.

"Oh …magnificent, what did you find you old fool?" Mikhail said almost as if to himself. "Couldn't leave it alone," he whispered.

She looked over at him to see his eyes were damp and face red. Alexi and Ivan crowded next to their father each putting a hand on his shoulder. Nico was covertly dapping at his eyes as he returned to the bank of monitors.

"Oh God, you knew him," she said as realization kicked her in the shin. Mikhail pressed his thin lips together to form a grim line.

"He was godfather to my first born son," he said calmly but Mika heard the grief welling there. Her eyes were drawn to Raizo. He was staring at the floor with the usual iron mask in place. Yet, she discerned sorrow in his dark brown eyes. Their conversation from the plane played in her mind.

_"How many like me have you saved?"_

_"A few, but not enough though."_


	8. Chapter 8

**Again I own nothing so please don't sue me. I'm trying their characters on for size. Thank you for the reviews. I'll be getting back to the action soon, next chapter. **

**Mikhail's sons lowered the elderly General into a leather armchair. With a glance Alexi signaled Nico. The young man went flying up the stairs and out of sight. **

"**I'm fine, boys. I only need to rest for a moment. I'm fine," Mikhail said gently pushing them aside. They left him reluctantly though Ivan continued to hover nearby. Raizo and Alexi joined the stranger at the table.**

"**You'll have to forgive me, Miss Coretti. Alexi Sabatin was an old friend. I'm afraid I've become a sentimental old man."**

**He rested with his head hung low on his broad shoulders. Hands clasping the ornately carved head of his cane so fiercely his knuckles were white.**

"**Nonsense and It's Mika." She reached forward covering his hand with hers and squeezing in sympathy. "He must have been a very close friend to be godfather to your son. I'm sorry for your loss."**

**Mika pressed her lips shut preventing her mouth from questioning him further. His shrewd eyes caught her struggle and seemed to read her mind.**

"**My first born, Demetri, died the night I met Raizo. I would have lost Ivan and Alexi as well, if not for that young man," he said looking over at Raizo. She knew he could hear every word but he appeared to be listening to Alexi and the stranger as they discussed the scroll.**

"**I'm so sorry, Mikhail," were the only words she could manage. He nodded and motioned for her to take the seat at his side.**

"**I'm not sure if Raizo has told you much about us but I have a 'colorful' history."**

**Mika chuckled and made a point of looking around his 'laboratory' as he dubbed it. The place looked like a cross between the Matrix and an old James Bond movie.**

"**I don't doubt it for an instant, Mikhail," she said grinning. He grinned wolfishly back then sobered.**

"**For a time, the color I dealt in was red. I sold death to the highest bidder. During the course of my business, I annoyed a larger competitor but he decided that my death was not enough. The offense required the death of my three eldest sons as restitution. The bastard wanted me to live with my grief as a reminder to never piss on his shoes before finally putting me out of my misery," Mikhail growled. Mika saw Ivan glide closer a look of concern on his face. **

"**We were on a delivery off the coast of Ireland. Two ships, Demetri and Ivan on the first and Alexi and myself bringing up the rear. We had engine trouble and were delayed a bit. About the time they should've been docking, we lost radio contact with their ship . When we reached the dock, I could hear gunfire and screaming to which the likes I'd only heard in an interrogation room during my youth. I locked Alexi in the wheelhouse. They're built like safe rooms. He'd be safe. Then I jumped ship…" **

**Mikhail stopped and his shoulder's trembled. Ivan walked up behind him resting his hand on his father's shoulder. Mikhail covered it with his own then gradually steadied.**

"**I reached the deck …it was covered in blood. Crew dead everywhere yet I heard gunfire at the bow. I could see Ivan and one of the crew had made it to the wheelhouse … but Demetri. By the time I reached him … it was too late."**

**Mikhail pressed a fist to his mouth unable to continue. She understood time did not weaken the grief from such a loss. One just learned to live with it. She was surprised when Mikhail continued.**

"**I was wounded …. Just when I was certain I was about to join my son, this kid drops out of nowhere like a spider and starts cutting the bastards down … never seen anything like it in my life."**

**Having witnessed the very thing, Mika could almost see the cargo vessel swarming with flitting black shadows killing anyone they crossed. Her own escapes from the massacre fueled her fear. She felt Raizo's toned chest pressed up against her back. Relaxing against him, Mika returned her attention to Mikhail.**

"…**told me that my boys were dead men, bought and paid for. Helped me get my family to safety. He was wounded during the fray, pretty bad though you couldn't tell at the time," Mikhail said looking directly at Raizo grinning.**

"**He was laid up for two days before, poof. He was gone. Not a month later, I come down here and this is sitting on my desk," Mikhail said stroking his cane with pride.**

"**This is the cane of the devil that ordered the death of my sons. I laughed like a hyena when I heard of his untimely dismiss. You've never said why you did what you did, Raizo, and I've never asked but I've always been grateful."**

**Raizo said nothing but gave a slight bow of his head while Mikhail nodded with a grin.**

"**Demetri's death never set well with his godfather. I couldn't tell Alexi the whole truth about how he died. He refused to let it rest and eventually … the truth got him killed," Mikhail finished dourly. **

**They all turned at the sound of the elevator clamoring to life. Mikhail glared up at Ivan who carefully extracted his hand then gave him a wolfish grin equal to his father's while backing away. Mikhail pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and mopped his face before the doors slide open. Valentina exited the elevator her eyes zeroing in on her husband. **

"**Ivan, Raizo, help me with this, please," she said waving to the full elevator cab. Both men jumped up to comply. Mika smiling to herself watched Raizo pushing a cart laden with food and Ivan following with a med cart. Valentina gave Mikhail a look that could have melted steel then led Ivan and Raizo over to a seating area.**

"**You sent Raizo to see Sabatin?" Mika asked.**

"**Yes, Alexi told me he'd made a discovery. Then I heard about his troubles at the Kremlin and the report. After he'd received, I mentioned it to him and the next day he was gone. This is the first I've seen him in ten months, haven't heard from him until he sent us word he would be arriving with you."**

"**I know he did visit with him. I'm sure he tried his best to warn Sabatin," she said almost pleading. Mika didn't want to think how Raizo would handle it if this connection he had with the Titus family were severed. She hoped Mikhail did not blame him for his friend's death. **

**Mikhail's steely grey eyes met hers as he unbuttoned the top three button's of his shirt. An old scar just like her own marred his chest. **

"**I owe that boy life itself. I trust him implicitly. So I know Raizo pleaded on deaf ears. Alexi was always a stubborn ass. God, bless him. I would never blame that child," he said with absolute sincerity. He rose extended his elbow for her and Mika took it.**

"**Now, that evil eye from my wife means we best move our asses," Mikhail said returning to his jovial self. They joined the group just as Valentina turned to them with a determined set to her shoulders. **

"**You two, no more of this working before breakfast, no more! You both need to be mindful of your health," she said her accent bleeding through the angrier she became. She was pointing so vigorously Ivan had to duck to prevent his mother from impaling his eardrum. **

"**Mikhail, don't get me started on your health concerns and you," Valentina turned on her making Mika jump. "You miss are still recovering. So no more, no more before breakfast," she finished. Mika unable to speak mimicked Mikhail and nodded vigorously. Mika glanced towards Raizo and … she swore the ass was laughing at her again. **

**After much arguing and threatening, Mikhail permitted his wife to take his vitals and rig up his oxygen. They partook in the delicious spread Valentina provided then split off to work their given tasks. Mika joined Mikhail and Nico at the 'commander deck' as Mikhail referred to it. The stranger was an old friend of Mikhail's from his black market days. They introduced him as Guy and nothing more. He was perched over the scroll with rubber gloved hands stopping occasionally to write in his notebook. Raizo appeared to be assisting Ivan and Alexi with whatever contraption they were building. **

**They worked nonstop only slowing when a younger version of Valentina, one of her granddaughters by her age, arrived with another cart carrying their lunch. Mika had no idea it had grown so late in the afternoon until the matriarch herself arrived with dinner. They broke for the evening and settled in the sitting area to eat. Valentina was adamant, eat before work. So Mika sat next to Raizo on the chaise eating and patiently waiting to tell him about their progress. **

**The sound of her laptop signaling a new email message disturbed all conversation. Only Mika tensed with apprehension. She politely excused herself and walked over to pull up the new message. It was from Maslow which only heightened her anxiety. He had told her to check in forty-eight hours. His possible reasons for changing the plan couldn't be good. Again she used the cypher from the Delgado case to decode the message and quickly dialed the new number.**

"**Ryan," she said and could feel everyone's eyes on her.**

"**Mika, you alright?" Maslow asked. His voice sounded so weary like he'd aged a decade since they'd last spoken.**

"**Yes, fine. What's wrong?" she said cutting through the pretense.**

"**Good news first," he said sighing.**

"**Okay, give me some?"**

"**We were able to reunite nine more families with their kids. I've got them all on high security lock down, separate locations."**

"**That is good news." she replied cautiously.**

"**After you left, I … didn't inform Command." He paused for such a long time she thought they'd lost the connection.**

"**I got word late yesterday that there was a fire at your apartment and …four dead agents on the scene. I'm sorry kid but .. there's more, Mika," Ryan said and she knew the worse was yet to come. She couldn't speak just waited for the blow to land.**

"**Europol received a report out of Kowloon, Hong Kong. They've got three bodies matching our missing kids. I'm on the way to the scene." It was the last thing Mika heard Ryan say. Suddenly it sounded as if the waves on the shore were crashing in her head drowning out Ryan's voice. She felt as if a noose were around her neck making it harder and harder to breath.**

**Raizo was out of his seat the moment the color drained from Mika's face. Her fingers lost their strength and the phone toppled towards the cave floor. He ignored it as it broke apart on impact silencing Maslow's tinny voice calling Mika's name. He focused on her. Mika was pitching forward clutching at her neck as if she couldn't breathe. Raizo seized her around the waist as her knees went out from under her.**

"**Mika!" Raizo's voice blended with Valentina's soprano wail. He lifted and carried her over to the sofa. Although Valentina's hands shook, she began taking Mika's pulse and checking her throat for an obstruction.**

"**Nnnoo," Mika managed as she finally inhaled. Tears crept from the corners of her eyes while her body trembled as she attempted another ragged inhalation. **

"**She's not choking," Valentina sat back confused and frustrated. "Maybe a panic attack…" **

**Sitting on the sofa, Raizo placed Mika's head in his palms and began massaging her temples. Her eyes focused on him. Their gazes locked, he took slows deep breaths. She tried to imitate him unsuccessfully. By the sixth breath Mika was able to match him breath for breath and her heart rate returned to normal. A fever sweat coated her skin, he wiped it from her brow with his palm. Valentina thrust a towel at him and Raizo used it to wipe Mika's face and neck. Mika sat up slowly blushing and casting her eyes downward when she saw all the concerned faces beaming down at her. **

"**Sorry," Mika croaked. **

"**Apologies are not necessary," Valentina said sitting on the coffee table. She handed Mika a glass of water. She took a long drink before her eyes grew wide. **

"**Ryan. Where's the phone?" she asked. Ivan held up three pieces that were once a cell phone with an apologetic smile. Alexi quickly produced another phone but dropped it into a cradle and pushed it towards Mika.**

"**Mika? Where'd you go? You scared the devil out of me." Ryan's voice was slightly distorted by the speaker phone but the worry in his voice was clear.**

"**Yes, I'm here. Sorry, I … got a little dizzy … lost the phone," Mika mumbled.**

"**Again? Are you alright?" Raizo looked over at Mika but she lowered her eyes and sunk lower into the sofa.**

"**Yeah, I'm alright. You were saying," Mika replied crisply. With a sigh, Ryan repeated everything he'd said. At the news of the children's bodies, Mika paled and trembled but nothing more. **

"**For now, you're presumed the dead. There were five bodies found in the fire. Until all are identified by DNA, I'm listing you among the dead. When the ID's are made though, they'll know you're still alive. I need to go Mika but I'll let you know when I have more. Raizo?"**

"**Yes, Maslow?" Raizo replied.**

"**Take care of her." A click ended the call. Silence hung over the group as they all digested the new information until Valentina broke it.**

"**Well… come now, enough work for today. There's nothing more you can do," she said glaring at her husband then looking pointedly at Mika. **

"**Yes, yes, my love is right. Let's call it a night and start fresh in the morning…after breakfast of course," Mikhail agreed under Valentina's stern scrutiny. They rose as one but Mika wobbled. Raizo slipped his arm around her waist and caught the twinkle in the older woman's eyes at his behavior.**

"**Are you alright, child?" she said taking Mika's hands in her own. Mika nodded a little to quickly to be convincing. Rather than pressing the issue, Valentina gave her a motherly smile.**

"**Is there anyone or any family, that you would like us to contact? We will let them know that you are safe, discretely of course," Valentina offered. **

"**No, I don't have any family but thank you." **

**Valentina was visibly startled and she turned to her husband with a pained expression. **

"**Your parents?" Mikhail asked gently sliding an arm around his wife.**

"**They died when I was young. I raised by my grandfather for a few years but … he died before I went to college," Mika said starting to squirm **

**Valentina brought her hands up to cup Mika's cheeks in her palms forcing her to look into the older woman's eyes. **

"**You've been alone in the world, but no longer. You do have family," Valentina said quietly and placed a maternal kiss to her brow. Mika shook slightly as she fought back tears. **

"**There's nothing more can be done tonight. You go up to the house and rest, alright? You'll need it to be strong for what's to come. Go on now." **

**Mika nodded looking a little dazed. Raizo stepped forward to take her hand when the matriarch turned to him. **

"**Make sure you get some rest too. Okay?" With the same casual ease she kissed her children and grandchildren, Valentina placed a kiss on his cheek and swept past him towards the elevator. Mikhail followed but stopped before Mika. He took her hand squeezing it affectionately followed by a sly wink. Passing Raizo, he bowed respectfully and stopped to squeeze his shoulder gently. **

"**Boys, Guy, move your asses. If I have to go tromping around in the sand in the damn dark so do you. Move it," Mikhail barked as he joined Valentina. Within minutes, Mika and Raizo were alone. They both stared at each other utterly speechless.**


	9. Chapter 9

Raizo stood outside of the bathroom until he heard Mika turn on the shower. Though she tried to hide it, she was still a little shaky. He listened for stumbling footsteps ready to step-in but only heard her surefooted tread. Walking down the little hallway, he caught himself scanning the wall hangings, the shine of the polished bamboo, and the spare decorations, all the little touches the matriarch had chosen. Raizo continued touring the little house as if seeing it for the first time. Only now did he understand what Valentina and Mikhail had done for him. They had given him a home.

Six months after leaving the Ozuno, Raizo had sensed his kind close by and had tracked them. He arrived to the scene Mikhail had described to Mika earlier. The old man had been cradling his son's dead body. Unwilling to leave him even in death, Mikhail had wept openly as he tried to drag the body with him. Ivan fighting one of his own men trying to reach his father while Alexi wailed and slammed himself against the locked wheelhouse door. It all filled his mind. He hadn't fully understood but he knew his brothers and his father would never do, would never even consider. For the first time since Keriko's death, he felt his heart. When the blade had pierced Mikhail's chest, Raizo felt it as if the steel had struck him. Keriko's voice ghosted into his mind inciting his actions. _"Every living thing has a heart."_

The bathroom was thick with steam as Mika stared into the mirror. Her apartment was gone and what little possessions she had acquired. There were only a few things that her heart ached for, photos of her parents, an old scrapbook, her grandfather's pocket watch. She swiped at her eyes and began brushing her hair. It was stupid to cry over possessions. 'Stupid and selfish', she thought.

Mika felt shame and guilt sting her throat as her mind rolled back around to the three dead in Hong Kong. Unbidden, her imagination created horrific scenes. All were a variation on how she'd found Raizo at the Ozuno compound, truss to a pole like an animal for slaughter. Unconsciously, her brushstrokes had become more and more violent in her agitation. Her robe gradually slipped open and Mika caught sight of the edge of the bandage. 'Too much of a coward to even look at it.'

No sooner than she thought it, Mika reached up, grasped the edge of the bandage, and ripped it from her chest. Within the square of angry red marks was what appeared to be a cut about two and half inches long above her left breast. She wondered if the children's poor bodies would share the same wound. Tears stung her eyes but Mika fought against them as she continued glaring at the scar. It didn't look as scary she thought it would and appeared to be nearly healed. She was unsurprised when she noticed Raizo standing behind her in the mirror.

"I'm fine," she said firmly wiping at the tears that had escaped her battle not to cry.

He cocked his head slightly a thoughtful expression sliding over his face. "I know."

"I'm sorry about … earlier. I won't fall apart on you again," Mika finished firmly and resumed brushing her hair.

Hands grasped her hips and drew her backwards until his broad chest was molded against her shoulder blades. Mika loved the way her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. Raizo placed a tender kiss to her temple. He gave their reflection a pointed look as he spoke.

"It's happened before. When?"

Automatically, Mika stiffened and stepped away. She'd hoped he hadn't been paying attention but Raizo missed nothing. 'Ryan and his big mouth', she thought. Mika returned to brushing her hair. His strong fingers gently wrapped her wrist slipping the brush from her grip. Stunned, she watched as he began brushing her hair. He paused to look at her.

"When?" Raizo repeated.

Mika sighed as the brushstrokes resumed then finally said, "when I was younger, they happened quite a bit."

"Panic attacks? Why?"

"After my parents died, I was sent to an orphanage for a while then foster care. They started then," she said simply and left it at that. She didn't want to go there.

"Recently?" Raizo asked giving her the brush back.

"Uh … a few weeks ago," Mika said refusing to meet his gaze as she braided her hair into a thick plait. Confusion creased his brow.

"When was this? You never had a problem when we were together."

"We weren't together," she snapped and instantly regretted it. Turning to him she said, "It happened on the flight to Japan."

"What provoked it?" he continued seemingly undeterred by her fit of temper.

"What provoked it!" She repeated aghast. "Um, could it have been me betraying you. I left you there, Raizo. I as good as gave you to them. I was …helpless … useless to protect you. I …"

"Mika, Mika, shh," Raizo said hugging her delicate frame against him.

"What if they'd k-killed you before I'd gotten to you," she stammered burying her face in his chest.

"You did what you had to and it was a smart move." He cradled her head in his palms and lifted so she was forced to meet his eyes. Thumbs stroked lightly over her cheeks making her heart flutter.

"Smart and brave," he whispered just inches from her lips. He was staring at them with a hungry expression. Nervous, Mika licked her lips. Swift as a snake, Raizo pounced sucking on the tip of her tongue then thrusting his own into her mouth. Moaning softly, Mika clutched fistfuls of his shirt desperate for more. Suddenly, Raizo's head snapped up as if listening.

"What is it?" Mika whispered. He continued listening for a few more seconds before answering.

"It appears Valentina has sent her granddaughter up with a tray of food. I'll be right back," he said as they disentangled.

She turned to watch him exit the bathroom. Again her gaze strayed back to the healing scar. Mika stroked it with her finger. 'Strong for what's to come', she repeated Valentina's words. Mika had never thought of herself as strong. Looking back on the last two weeks, she had managed to keep her head. Maybe she would be strong enough for what was coming as long as he was at her side.

Sensing his return, her gaze shifted to Raizo standing behind her. She saw his eyes slide to her reflection focusing on the peek of her sex that was revealed by her loosened robe. He caught her watching him. There was no blush this time. No shy smile only a feral intensity that darkened his beautiful eyes. Mika nibbled her lip in anticipation. He brought his hand up to skim down her neck along her collarbone to the valley between her breasts. Raizo pulled the edges of the robe wide displaying her hard nipples. With both hands, he cupped her breasts squeezing and pinching the dark buds. She watched as one hand skimmed down her belly to stroke the lips of her sex. Mika's breath hitched and her hips arched begging for his touch as he continued to tease.

Slowly, he slipped a finger into her channel almost sending her over the edge. Mika turned to kiss him over her shoulder as he continued fingering her. His eyes locked on their reflection as if recording her reactions, every squirm and moan. Desperate with need, Mika started to ride his hand grinding her backside against his bulging erection. With a growl, Raizo lifted her to sit on the vanity and slipped between her thighs. He descended on her mouth drinking in her moans while his fingers began circling her clit. She pushed up his shirt to slide her hands up and down the planes of Raizo's muscular stomach and chest. Her roving hands grazed his restrained cock. He hissed and slammed her body tight against his aching manhood. Blind with need, Mika began frantically searching for his zipper until her brain recovered. She planted both hands on Raizo's chest. He pulled back to look at her then took a decisive step back.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no, you're doing everything exactly right. It's just … I don't want our first time to be in the bathroom," she said. Giving her a bright smile, Raizo lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Moonlight shone in through the windows making the crisp white linen glow.

"I could have walked," she smirked as they entered the room.

He ducked his head and said timidly, "I … like holding you."

Mika felt her heart flutter again at his admission. She stared at him shocked frozen as he sat on the edge of the bed with her firmly planted on his lap. His expression turned nervous allowing Mika to find her voice.

"You do?" Her voice cracked with relief. She ignored it and focused on his face as he nodded.

"Did I say something to upset you?" His hand slid around her throat. The fingers massaging the back of her neck while his thumb stroked slowly along her throat.

"No…you …I've never heard you say anything about … likes or dislikes. I like it." Mika giggled realizing she made no sense.

"What else do you like," she asked coyly. He closed in to just a hair's breath from her lips grazing his over her own.

"I like the way you taste," he whispered before taking her mouth. His slow deep kiss was like a promise of more to come. Again she had two fistfuls of Raizo's shirt in her clutches before they broke apart.

"I'd really like it if you had less clothing on," she mumbled as he kissed a sensitive spot along her neck that made her tremble.

"As you wish," he whispered in her ear before rising. He placed her gently on the bed like she was the finest hand blown glass. With demure slowness, Mika slid out of the robe. She settled back against the pillows enjoying the sight before her.

Raizo slide out of his clothes aware of Mika's smoldering gaze raking over his body. He allowed his eyes to do the same to her and felt his mouth water. He climbed up the bed towards Mika stopping to place kisses on her knees, the curve of her hips, and her stiff nipples before settling his hips between her thighs. Hovering above her supported on elbows, he took that delicious mouth in a sweet kiss nibbling her soft plump bottom lip. Fingertips brushed over his nipples. Raizo groaned and intensified the kiss sucking her tongue into his mouth. Finally, Mika tore her mouth away.

"Now Raizo, please," she panted.

The usual bright shine to her topaz eyes had darkened with lust. Raizo lined the head of his cock up with the mouth of her sex. He sank into her molten heat enjoying the feel of her most intimate embrace. Drawing his hips back, his eyes nearly rolled into the back of his skull. Again and again he thrust deep into her core. Their combined moans and grunts comprised the most carnal symphony. With every flex of his hips, wave after wave of pleasure pulsed through him as the most delicious vise continued to constrict around his shaft .

"Mika … Mika," he said her name over and over as he neared oblivion. Her eyes blazed up at him as she arched beneath him.

"Raizo … yes," she moaned. His cock jerked deep within her erupting and bathing her womb with his seed. Panting, Raizo managed to shift to the right before collapsing. They lay in silence collecting their breaths. Mika pushed back his sweat soaked hair plastered to his forehead. She littered his face with soft brushes of her lips. Still buried in her sex, he flexed to rise but Mika held him close.

"Don't move," she said combing her fingers through his hair. "Besides, I … like the way you feel inside me."

At her words, Raizo felt his cock twitch to life. By Mika's soft moan, she felt it too. This time he took her agonizingly slow. With long deep thrusts, he experienced the most glorious friction as he slid into her tight channel again and again. The tension in Mika's body grew with each stroke. Looking down where they were joined, Raizo was fascinated how he disappeared inside her depths. Feeling the pressure of his fast approaching release, he dropped his hand down to fondle her mound. With a keen of pleasure, her womb convulsed pitching them both over the edge. Ten minutes later when they'd recovered, he heard Mika speak.

"Any regrets?" she whispered. He looked up meeting her gaze.

"Absolutely none," he said smiling broadly and planting a kiss on her lips.

"Did I honor my teacher?

"I…Uh… yes, yes," Mika stammered giggling as she blushed.

"I'll need to …train to stay in …top form," he teased kissing down her neck as his cock stirred to life again. "I want more of you Mika."

"I'm all yours," she moaned as he rocked his hips.

Raizo was having the best sleep of his life when he heard one of the prepaid cell phones ringing. With great reluctance, he unwrapped himself from Mika and walked over to the desk. He pulled the cell from his pack as he sat. Raizo answered the call but did not speak. Silence hung heavy over the line before the caller finally spoke.

"Mika?" Ryan Maslow asked.

"She is sleeping," Raizo supplied in answer.

"I guess that's best. How is she doing after … ?"

"She was upset but she's fine. Mika is …"

"Tough and tenacious," Ryan said with a mixture of irritation and affection. "You're the one I need to talk to, anyway. I need your help."


	10. Chapter 10

A smile curved Mika's lips. She woke feeling blissful then realized she was in bed alone. Raizo sat at the desk, laptop open and cell phone inches from his hand. He was staring at the blackened screen, at nothing with such concentration that it worried Mika. Retrieving her robe, she went to stand next to him. When he didn't react, Mika slide onto his lap. Instantly, his dark chocolate eyes focused as he returned from wherever his mind had wandered. He flashed her a soft smile and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Morning"

"What's wrong?"

He remained quiet for a few minutes his smile fading. "Maslow called."

"When?" Mika felt her stomach clench.

"Calm, Mika. He has not arrived in Hong Kong yet," he soothed while stroking her back. "He was still a few hours out when he called."

"Then what's wrong?" she sighed with relief.

"Ryan has discovered an order went out. All Ozuno survivors are to be transported to a compound outside of Osaka."

"What!" Mika fumed. "Why would they do that? That's exactly what Ryan didn't want, for them to be one giant target. It would be perfect for …"

Her mouth hung open then clamped shut as a long list of unanswered questions became painfully clear. How had the clans learned of her investigation in the first place? How had the pressure from those other government agencies come down on Ryan so quickly when only Europol files had been accessed? How had whomever set her apartment on fire and killed those agents known she'd returned to Berlin? Only someone very high up in Europol could have managed all of those things.

"So … it's a setup … like the safe house in Berlin," Mika said finally able to speak. It made her sick to think someone in her organization had been helping the clans and killing children and their own people in the process.

"That is what Maslow believes and I agree. He is attempting to trace the order. One of his men called to report the change of orders and …" Raizo paused a strange expression crossing his face. His gaze drifted to the laptop then back to Mika before he finally spoke.

"The agent also told Maslow one of the Ozuno women has been asking for me."

Mika took in his placid gaze knowing deep beneath stormed violent currents. She wiggled her fingers into his clenched fist. Raizo relaxed allowing her to intertwine their fingers. With her other hand she brushed her finger over the touchpad bringing the laptop's screen to life.

It was a photo from the case file of one of the two older female Ozuno. The sixty-ish looking woman had a noble air to her. Her shoulder length raven hair was sprinkled with a few stripes of silver at her temples. She bore a series of scars around her eyes, down her cheek, and along her neck. Mika scrolled down to read the list of other scars and healed injuries identified during her examination by the med staff. Unconsciously, Mika's fingers tightened around Raizo's as she read between the lines. The woman held her chin high despite the evidence she'd suffered years of abuse.

"Do you know her?"

"No, but she is …familiar somehow." His voice ended with a distant tone and she turned to him.

"From when you were younger?" Mika asked quietly watching him closely. Raizo had never mentioned anything about his past. He scrolled back up to the photo then slowly nodded.

"Where is she?"

"Maslow said she was assigned to a safe house outside of Bangkok along with five children. The agent that called it in is one of Maslow's trainee's. He is hiding the orders from the other agents on site."

"When do we leave? 'We' are leaving?" Mika asked tensing for his reply. Raizo sighed heavily meeting her eyes.

"It would be safer…"

"No," she said cutting him off and crossing her arms tightly over her chest like a petulant child. She knew it and didn't give a shit. She was going.

"Mika…" he hissed his frustration.

"No, Raizo, I'm going with you. Unless you plan to have Mikhail and Valentina lock me in a closet, I'll be swimming the Aegean as soon as you take off." Unconsciously Mika's chin jutted forward ready for the battle of wills. Gritting his teeth, Raizo shook his head in exasperation but she kept on.

"Do I need to recite the many times when one of us would have died without the other. I know you said there would be times when you'd have to leave me but this isn't it. You'll need me."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Raizo's espresso colored eyes softened. His hand slid up her back to cup her neck, fingers massaging while his thumb stroked the column of her throat.

"I already need you."

"You do?" Mika felt her heart fill and expand impossibly. He drew her closer skimming his lips over hers before taking her mouth until they slowly pulled apart. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Raizo buried his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath tickling the hair along the nape of her neck as he inhaled deeply.

"Yes, I do."

"I need you, too," she whispered back. They weren't the classic three words every girl wants to hear, but for Raizo they meant the same if not more. They sat quietly watching the sun rise enjoying the feel of each other. Mika wondered if they would have another moment like this again.

"Mikhail, you're being unreasonable. We could already have the information we need. All we have to do is ask," came Guy's raised voice. Raizo and Mika were descending into the passageway leading to Mikhail's lab. At the sound of voices, Raizo placed a finger to his lips.

"The answer is still NO," Mikhail barked.

"I'm sure we would have the last piece to the puzzle. Surely he must remember something. We cross reference that with what you and Ms. Coretti have learned from the wire transfers and we're that much closer."

"I refuse to ask that child to go rooting around in his brain for the needle in the haystack you want"

"You know very well it is a perfectly harmless procedure," Guy replied his voice thick with indignation.

"So is my cane until I beat you over the head with it," Mikhail bellowed.

"That is enough," Valentina's voice left silence ringing in its wake. "I do not want the subject brought up again, to either of them."

They descended the stone steps and the scene came into full view. Valentina stood between Guy and Mikhail her arms extended out like a ref at a prize fight. Guy was clutching a notebook to his chest and backing away while Mikhail held his cane like a cudgel. Valentina was the first to notice their entrance.

"Good morning Raizo, Mika. Help yourself to breakfast," the older woman said hurriedly motioning to a cart laden with food.

"Morning, did you sleep well?" Mikhail asked changing his grip on the cane and hobbling over to his chair. Guy grunted in greeting and returned to the worktable.

"Yes, thank you," Mika replied leaving Raizo to make herself a plate. He continued scrutinizing the two men when Ivan and Alexi descended the stairs.

"Morning," they grumbled in unison before joining Mika at the food cart.

"Maslow called back last night," Raizo announced. All attention focused on him as he retold his conversation with Ryan earlier this morning.

"Bangkok, uh?" Alexi asked swallowing a mouthful of eggs.

"How soon can we leave?" Raizo asked looking down at the plate Valentina set before him. He met Mika's laughing smile as he started eating.

"After last night we assumed you would be leaving soon. I made a few calls already. Plane will be ready in an hour. For Bangkok, I'll need to make more arrangements."

"We'll take care of Mika while your gone," Mikhail offered smiling over at her. Pushing away her empty plate, she was about to interject when Raizo spoke.

"Mika is going with me."

Silence rent the air, forks stopped midway to open mouths, and jaws froze mid-chew for several minutes as all turned from Raizo to Mika and back again. It was almost comical.

"We're coming too," Ivan added tossing his fork down.

Raizo's brow winged up in surprise.

"That way one of us can keep an eye on Mika and the other can keep an eye on you." Alexi finished nodding to him. Razio seemed flabbergasted unable to speak finally a grin curled his lip. The conversation around the table quickly turned to logistics and equipment needed for the trip. Mika looked over to see Valentina eyeing her intently. She stood motioning Mika to join.

"Come. Let the boys handle the planning. I'll help get you packed," she said taking Mika's arm and guiding her onto the elevator. As the cab ascended, she caught Raizo's eyes as he looked up. A bright smile beamed up at her sending warmth settling in the her belly before he disappeared from view. She turned back to her companion to find Valentina smiling broadly.

"What," Mika asked defensively.

"Nothing," Valentina said slyly. "I'm just pleased you and Raizo are getting along so well."

Mika sat on the bed in one of the Titus home's many spare rooms folding a pile of clothes while Valentina rooted around in the depths of a closet. Mika paused looking at a few of the photos lining the bedroom walls. It seemed the Titus children and grand-children spanned every racial barrier identifiable by the eye.

"Here they are," Valentina exclaimed triumphant. She emerged from the closet with two compact metal suitcases. She opened one on the bed and began opening all of its compartments.

"Are all these your children?" Mika asked nodding to the photos.

"Yes, some by blood, by birth, by life but all are mine. Family is what you make it, Daughter. Never forget."

"Valentina, what was that about between Mikhail and Guy?"

"Just a difference of opinion as usual. Mikhail is being overly protective as usual. Worse than a momma bear, that one. Guy is just being an insensitive ass as usual."

Valentina caught Mika's skeptical look and sighed as she began loading the suitcase.

"Guy made the mistake of suggesting that hypnotizing Raizo and questioning him about his childhood would reveal clues about the other clans."

"He won't say anything to Raizo. Will he?"

"Not unless he wants to wear Mikhail's cane as a hat," Valentina snorted

The image of Raizo's face as he stared at the photo of the Ozuno woman not but an hour ago surfaced in her mind. His mask no longer worked on her completely. Raizo had seen the woman before. Mika had peeked behind the façade enough times to see more than he realized. Confusion, anger, and pain had shone through for just an instant.

"Good," Mika added harshly. Valentina's hands stilled in her folding as she turned to Mika with a questioning look.

"I mean …Guy has a point. It could provide more info but …"

She sat giving Mika's hand a comforting squeeze. "But what if he learns something he is not ready to remember," Valentina finished with a sad smile. "Which is exactly why Mikhail and I would never ask such a thing of him."

"Do you know anything about Raizo's past?"

"I know when Demetri … was killed, they returned with Raizo. He was badly injured and I was the one who cared for him. It was a miracle the child was still breathing. He suffered fever dreams. Listening to him was enough for me to understand."

"Understand what?"

"I was a nurse for twenty years, Mika. I know an abused child when I see one. The scars on his body were proof enough. When I heard his pleading and screams in his sleep, I knew that boy had suffered beyond anything I could even imagine."

Two hours later, Raizo followed Ivan and Alexi into the courtyard lugging their gear. Mika trailed behind them with two metal cases and a pack slung over one shoulder. Mikhail limped into the courtyard with Valentina on his arm. The matriarch pulled Mika into a fierce hug.

"Take care of one another, all of you," she said looking up at her sons and Raizo. She placed a kissed to Mika's brow before passing her to Mikhail who pulled her into a hug. She took each of her sons in turn, hugging them tightly then sending them on to their father. Raizo approached the matriarch and somehow his customary bow did not seem like enough. Not enough for all they had given him, he thought and his eyes automatically rose to the stone steps that led up to where the little house sat.

"It will be here waiting for you." He looked back to see Valentina smiling at him warmly. She approached him slowly wrapping him in her arms. Unfamiliar with motherly affection, he stiffened but slowly relaxed in her embrace. She tightened her hold swaying slightly as she patted his back.

"You bring them home," she cooed. As before, she passed him to Mikhail who wrapped in a bear hug before quickly releasing him. He took his wife's arm and returned to the house.


	11. Chapter 11

Raizo found the hum of the AN-124's engines was almost relaxing. Not as much as Mika, he thought looking down at her head nestled in his lap. Her long slender legs were angled awkwardly over the adjacent seat as she slept soundly. Thirty minutes after takeoff, she'd dozed off and he was determined to let her sleep as long as possible. She'd hung in for the last ten hours, through the flight to the mainland then to Cairo where they left a false trail under their aliases. Raizo had noticed Mika's anxiety building as they continued to wait for word from Maslow. During their trek through the desert to an airfield, Mika had been vibrating with tension as she checked her email and cell every ten minutes for Ryan.

He brushed the hair from her face tucking the unruly curls behind her ear. Raizo looked up at Ivan. quietly observing a blanket and pillow in his big arms. Raizo took the pillow and transferred Mika's head from his lap to the pillow and stretched her legs out so she would be comfortable. Only then did he drape the blanket over her tucking it under to prevent a draft. Raizo straightened and caught Ivan grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you pay Alexi his money yet?" Raizo offered as a distraction dropping his gaze back to Mika.

"Alexi is very busy right now. Let's not distract him. We wouldn't want his work performance to suffer." Ivan said with a serious tone. Raizo snorted making the big man chuckle. The steady hum of the engines filled the silence for so long he almost forgot Ivan was even there.

"You love her. Don't you?'

"How .. would I know?" Raizo asked more to himself than to Ivan. He wasn't even sure if he knew what love felt like. The smile slid from Ivan's face transforming into deep commiseration.

"Do you find yourself doing things just to please her? Or you can't breathe or think if she's endanger. Or you could stare at her for hours on end memorizing every line, every freckle and never tire of it."

His gaze met Ivan's for several minutes as he thought over what he'd said. Mika meant that and so much more to him.

"Then, I do," Raizo finally replied.

"Make sure you tell her. Woman like to hear it, often. Just a little advice." Ivan offered the jovial smile returning.

"Thank you, I'll take it." Raizo replied honestly making Ivan laugh.

"Come on little brother. She's safe."

Raizo followed Ivan down the steel ladder to the cargo area. The AN-124 Condor's cargo area was large enough to hold a 747's engine. Now it looked almost empty. Another pallet bearing passenger style seating was anchored near the base of the ladder. Raizo followed Ivan past two secured pallets of various metal cases, an armored personnel carrier, and into a large black panel van. The rear of the van held more electrical switches and dials lining the interior than the cockpit of the plane they were on. Alexi sat on a metal stool muttering to one of the six flight crew, all Valentina's nephews.

"Hey, where's Mika?" Alexi asked laying out several small devices.

"Sleep," Ivan replied taking a stool. "Our ETA isn't for another two hours. One of us can brief her later."

Alexi nodded. "These are our comm devices. We'll be splitting into three, the flight crew, Ivan and myself, Raizo and Mika. Erick, here," he said motioning to the crew member, "myself, and Mika will each have a comm unit. Everybody will also be tagged with trackers that can be monitored from this console. Plus I'll have access on Mika's laptop. We're not taking any chances."

Mika tugged at the Kevlar vest again trying to take a full breath of the humid air. She didn't have a problem with any of it, not the earpiece shoved in her ear, the gaudy necklace with a hidden tracking beacon around her neck, or the flashlight that concealed a tazer strapped to her thigh. Her reluctance had risen at wearing Kevlar in this muggy heat. Ill tempered from lack of air, she turned to Raizo in the driver's seat.

"Okay, if you're going to make me wear it then at least adjust it so I can breath," she snapped as she tugged her shirt button's free revealing the hated vest. Rather than annoyance at delaying their mission or irritation for complaining about something clearly for her safety, amusement danced in his eyes. He leant forward readjusting the thick Velcro straps at her sides and her shoulders.

"Better?" he asked his hand unconsciously stroking her throat. The tender caress was making her skin tingle. She leant forward pressing their lips together in a long deep kiss.

"Better," she whispered when she could manage a breath.

"Is everything alright up there?" Alexi's laughing voice said in her ear making her jump in her seat. She'd forgotten that the comm would be on and open at all times.

"Yes… uh we're leaving now."

Raizo met her mortified expression with her favorite smirk before throwing the car into drive. Twenty-seven kilometers later, Mika looked down at the GPS screen then double checked the address with Alexi before confirming.

"This is it," she said turning to Raizo. She saw the same skepticism in his eyes that she felt as he stared at the building. It looked like an old abandoned government facility with a ten foot metal gate surrounding the three story stone building. It reminded Mika of a haunted sanitarium she'd seen on Ghost Hunters International. Raizo pulled into the short drive stopping at a security box while Ivan and Alexi's car continued on down the street.

Raizo keyed in the code Maslow had given him and the heavy metal gate slide open. They drove up the tree lined drive stopping at a set of wide steps leading to a pair of heavy doors. Her hand tightly clasped in Raizo's, she followed as they entered the main foyer. Their footsteps echoing softly off the marble floors. He made an immediate left passing the main set of elevators to a freight elevator. Once the metal grates were back in place, Raizo hit an unmarked button which sat below the 'B' button. The elevator descended past what she presumed was the basement and down two more levels before stopping. They entered the concrete passageway but were stopped twenty feet in by a metal door. Again, he typed a code into the security pad. They heard the grinding of gears as the doors sluggishly slide open.

Instantly Raizo thrust his hands in the air and motioned for her to do the same. Mika understood when she saw the barrel end of some kind of machine pistol come into the view as the door opened further. It was held by a dark haired nervous looking young man. Adrenaline break dancing through her veins, it took her a moment to place the face. She knew him, one of Ryan's new recruits he'd been torturing slash training.

"Stelton, right," she asked quietly trying not to startle him. No use, he shifted the gun towards her. A low growl came from Raizo and was instantly standing between her and Stelton. The guy jumped losing his grip on his weapon and actually yelped. Raizo snatched the gun from mid-air before it hit the floor. It was too much for the rookie agent. He turned and blindly took off sprinting down the hallway. Chancing a glance back, the kid barreled into a low hanging pipe knocking himself unconscious. While Raizo sealed the entrance, Mika stood looking down the at the blossoming knot growing on Agent Stelton's forehead.

"I see why Maslow called," Raizo said shaking his head in disgust as he stepped over the unconscious man.

He lead the way creeping around corners, dashing down hallways and occasionally ducking into a empty room or closet and motioning for silence. Mika obeyed trying her best to be as still as Raizo. He stopped as they came upon a particular door. Raizo flipped the latch and slipped inside Mika right on his heels.

Inside was a kind of den so out of place in these surroundings. There was a large sectional where three kids sat watching television. Two, one boy and one girl, looked to be in their mid teens while the younger girl appeared to be about seven or eight. On the opposite side of the room stood two boys around ten or twelve standing on either side of the woman from the photo, Ozuno's wife.

"Welcome, Raizo," She greeted. Her voice had a quavering note to it that sounded like relief to Mika's ears. "Please come sit with me. Boys, you can join the others."

The boys at her sides grudgingly complied. She gestured for them to sit with her at the table where she'd obviously set the table for tea. She poured each a cup before serving herself. They both indulged her taking quick sips of her hospitality but Mika was ready to throttle the woman as she took slow measured draws of her tea. Mika bit back her impatience because it wasn't her place to question this woman. It was Raizo's.

"Do you remember me," Lady Ozuno asked looking up and meeting Raizo's gaze for the first time. He saw now why her face bore those scars; someone had blinded her and he knew exactly who would have done such a thing. But beyond the scars, he knew her face though he couldn't remember from where.

"Yes and no," Raizo offered without explanation. She didn't seem to need it. The old woman laughed nodding in agreement.

"A completely honest answer. I can understand if your mind has chosen to forget."

"Forget what?" Raizo's snapped. She was quiet for a moment as if rethinking what she was about to say.

"I was there when Father …"

"He was never my father," Raizo cut her off unable to hide the bite of contempt. She did not argue just bowed her head.

"…Lord Ozuno. I was present when he found you," she continued.

"Where was that?"

"There was a camp along the coast where men peddled in the flesh of others. He first saw you in the fighting pits. From that moment, he was determined that only you would be worthy of leading the Ozuno when he was gone."

"Slaver's," Raizo hissed swallowing a lump forming in his throat as her words sent fractured images careening through his mind.

"Yes, it is how many of the clans find new recruits. Most prefer lost children assuming that such hard beginnings have prepared them for a life of blood. But that is not true for all," she said giving him a faint smile that he did not return.

He could not bring himself to trust the woman fully knowing she had been at Ozuno's side for years. He felt Mika give his arm a slight squeeze.

"So ..," Mika's voice croaked then strengthened. "So you were Ozuno's wife?"

"No. I was never a wife. My position with the Ozuno was not far from a slave, his personal slave but a slave none the less."

The vehemence in her voice called to him melting his dislike for the woman.

"We have heard that several of the children who were returned to their families have been killed."

Mika's pained gasp had Lady Ozuno's focus shifting to her. The woman studied her as Mika slowly composed herself then spoke.

"I have a friend in Europol who is heading to Hong Kong where three bodies were found. If it's one of the children, he'll let me know and I swear I'll make sure you're notified."

She gave Mika a respectful bow. "Thank you. You are very kind. Though they are not mine by blood, I was the only one to care for them. Do you know who pursues us?"

"Another clan?" Raizo offered. She shook her head like a wise owl.

"It is not another clan. It is this one, Ozuno. When Ozuno returned to the compound with you, your training became his sole focus. Everything and everyone else fell to the wayside, including his own flesh and blood."

Raizo hid his shock but let her words sink into his brain chipping away at fuzzy memories. "Ozuno had a son."

"He was my son for a time, until he came of age," the woman said with a grim smile. "Mitsuru was always … different. His father though he had potential to be his protégé. After finding you, he decided only you were worthy, his new son. He cast Mitsuru aside, no longer the favorite son. His hate for his father and for you, his replacement, twisted him into … a monster like his father. When Takeshi sent word they would be returning with you, Ozuno summoned all to witness your death. Mitsuru was the only one who did not return."

Suddenly Lady Ozuno's head snapped up. Two seconds later Raizo and the children mimicked the movement as if all were listening to something Mika could not hear. She tapped her earpiece.

"Alexi, everything alright?"

"We're good, just two drunks pissing off security." He sounded annoyed more than worried. Mika looked at Raizo shrugging in confusion.

"Stay here. I'll check it out."

He slipped from the room leaving Mika with the children and Lady Ozuno. She glanced over at the TV area. The three boys and teenage girl were all standing with a familiar stillness that belied the predator ready to strike at all times that was now part of them. They reminded her of Raizo. Of course, children or not they were Ozuno. The little girl went to sit next to Lady Ozuno who had not moved from her seat. Even her with a mop of honey brown curls and emerald doe eyes, she sat with the same eerie quietude.

"You are the one who came for him?"

"Uh, yes," Mika said distractedly as Alexi snorted in her ear.

"Do you believe these fucker's? Now one's puking on Euro-boy's shoes. Ugh, that's just nasty."

"The one who saved his life. Sacrificing your's for his," she continued.

Without a question to answer, Mika stood her eyes locked with the old woman's. Though she knew she was blind, Mika felt as if she'd been scanned, assessed, and measured just like under Mikhail Titus's stern gaze.

"Mika …," she said her name like a benediction. "I am honored." She bowed deeply her smile revealing a younger woman.

"What the fuck," Alexi shouted. Mika was too wired to jump. She merely listened her eyes still on Lady Ozuno as she hugged the little girl.

"You will make a wonderful mother," the woman added with a beaming smile.

"What?" Mika shouted.

"Oh shit! Mika, get out …," Alexi's voice broke into static. Mika tapped the earpiece. Nothing, static. She was turning to the door when a blast rocked the building. Before, she could recover from the shock, another eruption made the concrete beneath her feet jump sending them all crashing to the floor. The third blast brought down bits of the ceiling and the smell of fire and smoke seeped into the room. The lights flickered then went out pitching them into blackness.


	12. Chapter 12

Raizo was ascending in the elevator listening to Mika and Lady Ozuno, Alexi reporting in, and growing more furious at every step he took without running into any Europol agents. He pushed open the metal gates of the elevator hearing the conversation at the end of the drive. Of the four man team guarding his … the survivors, two were at the gate trying to explain to the two drunk British tourists that they were not at their hotel while a third stood with his back to Raizo just inside the large doors which were wide open.

He was so seething with rage he planned to knock the men out and handle the possible threat himself. Through his red haze as he dispatched the agent, Raizo heard the altercation at the gate change. The distinctive sound of a RPG being loaded reached him a split second before he saw the launch the rocket heading straight for him. Raizo dove over the concrete banister as the front of the building exploded. A second and third launch reached his ears above the cacophony forcing Raizo's body to move. He leapt onto the lawn allowing the momentum down the hillside to bring him clear as the rockets slammed into the building.

"NNNOOOO!" Raizo bellowed as he watched the stone roof collapse.

Mika heard a baby crying as if from the room next door, the nursery. The cries turned to soft whimpers and a acrid smell stung her nose. Mika tried to move and felt pain pulsing from her head. She held onto the nauseating feeling knowing pain meant consciousness. She turned her flashlight on revealing chaos. The television was overturned and a portion of the ceiling had dropped down burying the sectional where the children had been sitting. The three boys were trying to uncover the teenage girl's leg which was pinned beneath some debris. Pressing her palm gingerly to the ache on her head, she tamped down the urge to lay down. She followed the whimpers to the little girl.

Grime coated her face except for where her tears had washed clean. She sat huddled rocking back and forth in a pool of blood. Lady Ozuno's hand reaching out in death her body crushed beneath a section of the concrete ceiling.

"Oh God," Mika gasped. Pull it together, she thought.

"Honey, what's your name?" Mika calmed her voice even as she glanced over her shoulder at the boys' progress. They had managed to pull the girl's leg free but it looked like she wouldn't be walking out on her own.

"He called me Yusa," came a tiny baby voice that matched her Suzy-q curls. Mika ground her teeth. It sounded as if Lord Ozuno had named her like a new prize mare.

"Yusa, you need to come with us. Okay?" Mika held her arms open squatting in the former Lady Ozuno's blood trying to reach the child worried she would scare her further. Yusa stroked the woman's open palm leaving a trail of blood. She stared at the scarlet on her fingertips in awed horror and resignation. An odd mix of emotions on someone so young. A scream cut through the room as the eldest boy tied of a splint on the girl's leg.

"Yusa, come on. The others need our help. We all need to stay together. Okay?"

Mika sighed in relief as the girl crawled towards her ducking beneath the debris which had come inches from killing her as well. Forgetting the girl's background, Mika clutched her to her chest picking her up. She thought she'd pull away but she wrapped her arms around Mika's neck. It seemed to calm her own rising panic as she could see the flames casting an amber light in the hallway beyond.

"Okay… Okay," she repeated giving the girl in her arms a comforting squeeze.

"How is she?," Mika asked the eldest boy. He looked up at her a little dazed.

"Uh, a broken ankle, I think," he said as he seemed to assess Yusa for injuries.

"Hold her for a minute," Mika said handing a reluctant squirming girl over to him.

"What's your name?" she asked climbing over to the door or more accurately what was left of it.

"Cheng"

She had to deliver a few kicks to the protesting metal. Finally it budged and she glanced into the hallway. Thank Good for the metal door, she though looking at the scorched hallway. A haze still hung in the air from the intense heat of the fireball. She stepped over and under debris until she reached the hallway that led to the freight elevator. The concrete blocking the hallway still smoldered embers glowing red hot.

"Shit," Mika swore and continued futilely to tap her earpiece. The kids were no fools. They knew the situation from the expression on her face or maybe they smelled the fear which had to be coming off her in wafts. Yusa ran over to Mika and unthinking, she picked her up.

"The entrance is blocked." she panted.

"There is another way," Cheng replied even by Mika's flashlight she could see the blush tainting his cheeks. She ignored it for now.

"Okay then. You lead the way. Is she okay to travel?"

"She's fine," came a snippy voice but Mika heard the pain behind it. The girl had long raven hair down her back. Choppy cut bangs plastered her drenched brow as she used one of the younger boys as a cane.

"Good. Yusa, stay close to," Mika prodded looking towards the other young boy. He was gazing over at the body of Lady Ozuno but he answered when he looked up.

"Fazid," he replied. Mika turned back to the boy being used as cane.

"Gustof."

"And you, Miss?" Mika asked motioning for Cheng to lead. By the look of concern on his face as the girl fought to stay upright, Mika was going to have to serve as her cane if she wanted him to budge.

"Kimiko," the girl managed through gritted teeth as Mika settled her arm over her shoulder.

"Okay, Cheng, lead the way. I've got Kimiko. You three stay close. Okay?"

All nodded quietly and they made their way out into the hall. Their progress was slow as they neared the main hallway the smoke so thick it filled the passage like a living thing. It stuck to them, clung to their clothing and faces as they trudged down the hallway Mika had not taken. In the glow of her flashlight it looked like they'd reached a dead end.

"We'll have to help Kimi through," Cheng called back before ducking into a barely noticeable gap between the corner of the wall like an optical illusion. He lined up against the wall and side stepped out of view. The younger ones followed suit leaving Mika and Kimiko waiting for their turn. The girl's wave of hair brushed against Mika's cheek as her head snapped up. Her intense eyes fixed on the dark passage beyond listening.

"They're not done yet," she said weakly turning her fierce gaze on Mika.

The blaze was so intense Raizo 's face and hands felt scalded. He shielded his eyes as he forced himself closer trying to see where the freight elevator shaft had been. It was gone. The west side of the building had fallen in on itself. Raizo fought the urge to drop to his knees screaming at the top of his lungs. Instead he converted the worry, the grief into rage. Gunfire cut through the quiet crackle and pop of the burning building. Raizo's body was in motion barreling across the lawn towards the gate. Ivan and Alexi were firing at the pair of so called tourists who returned it with bullets of their own.

A second vehicle screeched to a halt. Thankfully the brothers saw it and the man leaning out holding an RPG launcher. The brothers barely had time to clear the vehicle with Alexi ducking back into the passenger seat before the car was consumed in flame somersault into the air landing in the street with the scream of burning metal.

Raizo was on the pair of tourists an instant later. The zing in his muscles as he felt the first man's neck snap nor the crack of the second man's spine were enough to calm the mad haze blurring his reason, his sanity. It would never be enough if he'd lost Mika. He forced himself to take several deep breaths. He couldn't help her if he allowed himself to become insane with worry.

"Raizo," Ivan peered at him through the smoke his machine gun still in position. A column of black smoke billowed from the wreckage still burning in the street. Alexi limped behind his brother face hidden behind the laptop. Typing and hobbling at the same time, Raizo thought calming and felt his reason returning.

"Got her. Must be another exit cause she's on the move."

Ivan had already thrown the dead man draped across the hood to the ground and slide into the driver seat. With the speed and accuracy of a stunt car driver, Ivan backed the car up whipping it around to stop inches from where he and Alexi stood in the street.

"Move your asses," Ivan called out the open window sounding very similar to Mikhail. Alexi rolled his eyes as he eased himself into the backseat and began navigating. Raizo dropped into the passenger seat as Ivan tore off like a mad man. And for good reason, he didn't need to be told the local police would be at the scene any minute. He felt inside his jacket for his hook and chains grasping them tightly. It was all he had at the moment. His satchel holding his other weapons was around Mika's waist. Who was not dead or trapped beneath tons of rubble, he said to himself. Mika, Mika so much stronger than you know.

"What the fuck was that?" Alexi shouted from the rear. "I mean, are ninja's packing RPG's now?"

"No way, mercs maybe," Ivan added calmly wrenching the wheel to avoid a bus.

"What crazy dumb fuck mercs you know … oh shit. No think about it. Whoever took out the building has to know about the other exit. Whether you lay in wait or send in a clean up team. Shit boys, Mika's walking into the shit."

Mika welcomed the smell of exhaust fumes compared to that of burning rubble any day. They had followed the passage until it widened and began tilting upward towards the surface. There were a series of metal grates above that when pushed upon lifted to serve as an exit. From above, they probably appeared to be the drainage tunnel for the parking garage above. Mika sat crouched beneath the grate listening carefully hating herself because she had let Cheng talk her into going to check for sentries in her place.

She glanced down at the others resting on the concrete then back up. Mika nearly screamed from the sheer tension as Cheng's face filled the grate. He put a finger to his lips sable eyes laughing. He just didn't know how lucky he was that there were bars between them. She dropped down to help push Kimiko through the opening. Mika pushed Raizo's back out of the way before gripping it tightly. She knew what it contained. But she hesitated looking around at the children waiting, depending on her. It would be foolish not to, she thought reaching into Raizo's satchel and pulling out a few of his blades. They each chose, Yusa picking a pack of shuriken.

"Now, let's go." Mika said slinging the satchel over Yusa's shoulder.

Mika's head snapped up at the same instant as the children. Hearing the ding of the parking garage elevator along with everyone else did not make her feel any better. Ignorance was bliss, she thought madly. With a push, Mika urged Cheng to finish loading Kimiko in the stolen van. He'd found it idling and no doubt the elevator bore the van's owner returning. With a jerk of her head, the younger ones followed suit. As she eased the driver's door shut, Mika heard a man having a one-sided conversation on a cell she presumed. They would be within sight soon.

She turned to see Cheng dangling the keys before her. She reached to grab them only to have him snatch them out of reach. Okay he was adorably cute like an overly playful puppy but she'd had enough. Was he seriously pitching a fit about wanting to drive? Now?

The van owner's footsteps halted as he stopped to argue with whoever he was cursing. From what she could hear and what Cheng damn sure heard was the man was with the people who had brought the building down.

Mika turned to Cheng and summoned Valentina in her mind. She contorted her face with a mixture of outrage, disgust, and a just a bit of shame in a metal bending sneer and jerked at the ignition. His shrewd eyes turned sheepish. He slammed the key in and turned it in one fluid motion. The engine roared to life. The man yakking on the cell suddenly forgot how pissed he was at the person on the other end. Mika heard his running foot falls as she backed up. The sound of gunfire bounced around the concrete walls. Two slugs zinged off the metal a third shattered the rear window.

"Everybody down," Mika shouted wrenching the gears into drive and punching the gas. Metal sparked as slugs hit the metal grill, one bouncing up to splinter the windshield. Their pursuer must have crossed the parking level. Now he stood in the middle of their path popping off shots with deadly accuracy. A bullet hit the windshield turning it into a mosaic. Cheng kicked the glass away as they bore down on the man. Mika didn't hesitate, she floored it ignoring the splash of fluid that hit her hands at the impact and the scrape of metal as the roof made contact with the concrete ceiling of the parking garage.

They turned up a level and Mika could see several men dressed in black piling on gear next to a van that looked alot like their stolen one. Mika slowed. The other van was positioned too close to the exit for them to make it without taking heavy fire. Even now two men were crossing into the van's path as if to meet it. It was a matter of seconds before they noticed the damage from their buddy or her sitting pretty behind the wheel and bullets would rain.

Acting on a crazy impulse, Mika threw the van into reverse backing up around the curve along the outside wall of the building. Popping it back into drive, she floored it aiming for the low half wall just to the left of the corner of the building. The collision pitched Mika forward in the seat smacking her head on the steering wheel. The pain allowed her to remember that the ground rising up to meet the van's wheels was not an illusion. They had exited the side that was one story up. The jolt sent pain vibrating up her arms as she fought to avoid crashing into a cab. She glanced at Cheng to see him smiling like a loon. His look of horrified glee was almost manic.

They were clear. Mika turned to Cheng with what she was sure was an equally deranged smile plastered on her face. They were grinning at each other like a pair of loons when bullets peppered the side of the van. Yusa's high pitched squeal of pain shattered the last of Mika's calm. She wrenched the wheel from side to side in desperation. Chanting instructions Raizo had hammered into her if the shit hit the fan, Mika nearly pressed the accelerator through the floor. Get to the safe house. Get to the safe house.


	13. Chapter 13

"There she is," Raizo shouted at the sight of a bullet riddled van rocketing through the intersection ahead. His heart clenched seeing sparks as slugs pelted the van. Ivan slowed cutting the wheel to the right slamming their car into Mika's pursuers sending them careening onto the sidewalk. They plowed over shop displays and sent pedestrians screaming before leaping back onto the road smashing into their left side. Metal howled as Ivan fought to keep them on the road but it was a losing battle against the larger vehicle.

"Son of bitches," Ivan bellowed. He tapped the brake dropping speed until they were ten feet behind the van.

"Hold the wheel little brother," he said with a lift of his brows smiling. Raizo grabbed the steering wheel trying to keep it steady. Snatching up the AK-47, Ivan slammed in a new clip and angled his upper body out the window.

"Son of bitches," he roared again like a battle cry. The machine gun chattered chewing up the van's backend and shattering glass.

"Lunatic," Alexi sighed in annoyance from the backseat as he typed.

As they sped forward Ivan took out the back tires with a burst of gunfire. A plume of sparks flew up from the rear axel their quarry refusing to slow. As it reached the next intersection, the banshee wail of brakes pealed through the air a split second before a bus crashed into the crippled van. It flipped end over end through the air landing on its roof in a shallow pond. Raizo was out of the car and moving before Ivan made a full stop. He slid over the trunk and leapt onto the railing.

"Follow Mika," he shouted over his shoulder then dropped down into the grimy pond. When Raizo reached the van, a man clad in black was crawling from the wreckage. His right leg was bent at a crazy angle, the white of bone poking through his pant leg. Raizo placed his foot just above the break and pressed down. He listened to the begging and screaming of a man who had been sent to kill an old woman and children without an ounce of mercy. After a minute, Raizo lifted his foot then leaned down letting his face fill the whimpering man's vision.

"Who sent you?"

Mika saw the bastards pursuing them slow as a car barreled into them but she didn't let up on the accelerator. Cheng climbed into the rear just as they were reaching the end of the large park on the left side of the street. That was her cue, she slowed for the oncoming intersection.

"Yusa has been shot … her arm." There was nothing of the laughing eyed youth in his voice now. He sounded scared but she heard ripping fabric over Yusa's occasional whimper. No matter how terrified, she was certain Cheng was treating the wound .

"Hold on," Mika yelled as she cut the wheel to the left. Her voice turned to a high pitch screech as she yanked the wheel to miss an oncoming truck. Metal kissed metal but Mika plowed forward veering to the left down what appeared to be a service road for the park.

"Kimi," Cheng called. "Kimi!"

The deserted road was bumpy and poorly lit but Mika glanced into the rear. Kimiko was laying across the seat her blood soaked hair lay across her face. Cheng screamed crawling to her and cradling her head in his hands as he tried to rouse her. Mika floored it knowing the safe house was their only hope. The road came to a tunnel cut into the hillside with two enormous gates to either side of the opening. She drove straight through flying along the piped lined tunnel only stopping when it narrowed. She screeched to a halt.

Adrenaline fueling her, Mika jumped out and ripped open the doors. Cheng stumbled out holding Kimiko in his arms her blood staining his neck and white polo shirt. The boys were trying to pull Yusa out but Mika drew her carefully into her arms. She was turning with the girl when a car came roaring down the tunnel skidding to a stop feet from them. The young boys leapt in front of Mika and Cheng, Raizo's blades in each hand. She sighed in relief as Ivan jumped out a machine gun slung over his shoulder.

"Whoa, easy," Ivan tried to calm Gustof and Fazid who'd both dropped into a crouch at the sight of him, blades at the ready.

"It's alright. They're with us. They're here to help," Mika soothed shifting Yusa in her arms. The girl was suddenly becoming very heavy. The boys relaxed stepping aside as Ivan slowly walked over taking Yusa from Mika's arms.

"Where's Raizo? Where is everybody?" Mika yelled needing to expel some of the panic still thundering around in her heart.

"He's right behind us. I just checked his locator," Alexi shouted over. He grimaced trying to exit the car with an injured leg and Mika's laptop. Ivan had leaned over to check Kimiko's pulse and exam her wound.

"Scalp laceration, she'll be okay, boy," Ivan offered and turned to Gustof. "Help my brother would you," Ivan asked motioning to Alexi. Gustof looked up at Ivan for a moment. With a nod, he raced to Alexi's side acting as a cane once again.

"Everybody is at the plan A entrance. This is the 'FUBAR' plan entrance. We'll need to take the stairs up a level." Ivan said already walking down the passage. Cheng was at his side with Alexi and Gustof trailing behind.

Mika turned to look back the way they'd come willing Raizo to come walking up. She turned to watch the others disappear into the dark. Suddenly, it hit her like a two by four to the skull dropping her to her knees. The events of the last two hours flew through Mika's mind making her shake uncontrollably. She leaned forward planting her palms on the cool concrete trying to let the contact center her. Eyes straying from her splayed hands, she saw a pair of battered tennis shoes. Mika glanced up to see Fazid standing with that eerie stillness. A crop of close cut brown hair framed his young but serious face. Oblivious to the bleeding cuts on his cheek and chin, his dark eyes scanned the tunnel as he stood guard over her while she fell apart.

Mika sat up on her knees drawing in deep breaths trying to pull herself together. She needed to get him to the doctor and he didn't appear to be moving without her. She tried to rise and wobbled. He reached out and steadied her before placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Fazid," Mika said rising to stand next to him. She caught his bashful look and placed her hand beneath his chin. He allowed her to tilt his head back so she could get a better look at those cuts.

"Let's go check on the others and get these looked at. Come on."

Dropping her hand from his chin, she gently took his hand in hers. He gazed down at their hands with a surprised expression before nodding. He led following after the others to a large blast door where a guard waved them through. Mika and Fazid continued down the hall and entered a large room. It appeared to have served as a cafeteria in the past but now looked like an ER.

Kimiko lay on a metal table a young woman that bore a striking resemblance to Valentina treating her head wound. Cheng sat on a stool at her feet a miserable expression aging him while he watched the young woman's every move. Gustof was helping Alexi onto a table as a young man stood near sliding on a pair of latex gloves. Mika walked up to Ivan taking a roll of tape from between his teeth as he wrapped Yusa's wounded arm in a bandage.

"Thanks," Ivan said and took the strip of tape she passed him.

"How is she?" Mika brushed a hand lightly over the little girl's head stroking the wild curls. Though unconscious, Yusa nestled into the contact.

"Just a flesh wound, bullet didn't nick the bone. I gave her something for the pain to knock her out. No need for the little one to suffer. Tough little kid," Ivan said smiling down at Yusa with admiration.

Mika looked over at the woman cutting away a small patch of Kimiko's hair revealing a nasty gash in her scalp with Cheng vigilante and watchful by the girl's side. Mika felt Fazid's desire to join the older boy. She rubbed the back of his head nudging him in that direction and he quickly took up a position next to Cheng.

"What about Kimiko?" Mika asked.

"Doc's working on her but I called it. Looks worse than it is, head wounds bleed like a bitch, oh, um… they bleed a lot," Ivan corrected. "Got a busted ankle too."

Mika watched Ivan's enormous hands handle Yusa's petite arm with the care of a Faberge` Egg as he returned it to her side. She caught Ivan's eyes scanning her for injuries.

"Looks like it got pretty rough for you lot," Ivan said walking around the table carrying a bottle of antiseptic and a long swab. Mika merely nodded but ducked his hands when he tried to dab at the cut on her forehead.

"I can wait my turn Ivan. Fazid has a couple of nasty cuts to his cheek, the little guy over there. Could you give them all a once over?"

Ivan studied her for a moment as if debating whether to say something. Finally, he consented with a nod.

"We'll take care of them. You go clean up. Follow the hall three doors down on the right is a room with a private shower and your gear. I'll take a look at that cut later," he said walking over to Cheng and Fazid. He turned as she was heading for the shower.

"Mika, you did good."

She managed a weak smile before heading towards the hallway. Catching sight of her laptop on a table, Mika picked it up and followed Ivan's directions to her room.

Raizo jogged down the tunnel speeding up at the scent of blood. He cast a glance inside the battered van as he passed and glimpsed blood sprinkled glass littering the floor. He entered the room at a run. Startling Ivan, the big man brought his gun up that was still strapped to his shoulder. Recognizing Raizo, he nodded at him with a look of relief.

"Where's Mika?"

"She's fine, Raizo. Just fine, a little banged up a few minor cuts but Mika's fine. She went to clean up," Ivan said calmly. He returned to dabbing antiseptic on a cut that ran down the teenage boy's forearm. He surveyed the room noting everyone was being treated but didn't miss the downcast glances he received from the boys. He would pursue it another time now he needed to see Mika. See she was okay with his own eyes.

"What the hell happened to the comm units?" Ivan asked tossing away bandage wrappers.

"Don't know yet," Alexi said throwing his arm across his face as if disgusted with himself. He continued, "maybe a glitch in my design, damage from the concussion of the explosion, or an EMP device, possibilities. Luckily the laptop's shielded."

Suddenly Alexi bolted upright on the table looking around so wildly Raizo stopped in his tracks.

"Oh no, oh shit," he said sadly. Alexi met his brother's confused frown.

"Mika took the laptop."

The brothers exchanged a long look before Ivan slowly closed his eyes and said, "Shit."

"What?" Raizo asked.

"When we split up, a message came through from her Europol friend. It wasn't good news, Raizo," Alexi said grimly.

Without another word, he left the room. Raizo followed her scent that marvelous combination of citrus and jasmine. He frowned hearing the rhythm of her heart beating too fast. He tore into the room only to find it cast in shadows except for the glow of the laptop's screen. She'd seen the message.

Raizo scrolled briefly through it and had to lean against the desk as if he'd been sucker punched. The three bodies had turned out to be Ozuno survivors and so were the other three bodies they found five hours ago at a different site two hours from the first. Maslow had confirmed their identities against their files before notifying her. All of the missing survivors were now accounted for much to his sorrow.

He thought of Mika reading this. Mika whose first concern had been the children. Mika who'd cared so much that she'd gone scouring through newspaper articles looking for them wanting to know what became of them. Needing to see her more than ever, he turned to the bathroom following sounds of running water. Mika sat nude on the floor under the shower's heavy spray. Her clothes sat in a wet heap at the shower entrance like she'd entered with her clothes on then stripped. Her knees were drawn up to her chest arms wrapped tightly around them and her head leaning back against the tiles.

Raizo walked into the shower fully clothed sliding down the wall to sit next to her. She didn't move or acknowledge his presence just continued to sit stiffly with her eyes firmly shut. Though she sat perfectly still, he heard her thundering heart but outwardly only the trembling of her bottom lip betrayed her. He wanted nothing more than to snatch her up and hold her close. Needed to feel her heart beat against him. But for the first time, he was worried she would reject his touch.

Truthfully, this was the reason he'd wanted her tucked away on Mikhail's isle. Being at his side, there was no way to shield her from what had become his life. He didn't want her to reconsider whether she could handle the Hell that was part of his everyday existence. Just when he couldn't take her silence any longer, she spoke.

"Lady Ozuno's dead," she said her voice sounding lifeless. He turned to see she'd opened her eyes but still sat stiff as a board. He said nothing hoping to draw her out.

"And … I killed a man … was shooting at us …the kids …they're dead," she mumbled and dissolved into tears. He'd had enough. He pulled her into his arms tucking her head against his neck and held her tightly as sobs wracked her small frame. Unsure how to comfort her, he kissed her wet hair and stroked her back.

"Forgive me, Mika. I'll get you back to the island. Make sure you're safe."

Mika pulled away from him brow creased in confusion.

"What?" she asked a little bewildered.

Raizo unconsciously brought his hand up to rest on her belly as he pulled her close again planting a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"It's not that. It's …oh God, you heard," Mika said with an agonized gasp her eyes closing. She tried to slide from his lap but Raizo resisted her and she stilled.

Stiff as a board again, she nudged his hand on her belly away. Looking anywhere but at him, she said, "I'm not pregnant, Raizo."

The strange elation he'd felt at the idea withered and fueled him to unwisely open his mouth.

"But … how do you know?"

"Because I can't have children. I'm barren, alright? It happened when I was young." Mika turned with tears welling in her topaz eyes as she yelled at him . "And I don't want to go back to the island. I have to show you I can handle this life, that I'm strong enough for your life, or you will dump me on the island and find someone who can have babies…"

He didn't let her finish the sentence but slammed his mouth down on hers swallowing her fury. He tasted her tears bittersweet on his tongue. Instantly Mika melted in his arms allowing Raizo to flip them so she was beneath him hips firmly planted between her thighs. She spread her legs and began undoing his belt. He cupped the back of her neck angling her head so he could take her mouth fully.

"Don't, Mika. I don't care about that. I want you," he said against her mouth softening his kiss. She threw the belt aside and with hurried fingers unfastened his pants.

"You are my heart, Mika," he said kissing her chin and throat as she pushed his pants down off his hips. He trembled when her hand enveloped his throbbing manhood and pumped up and down the thick shaft. He felt her place the head at her scalding entrance. Raizo slammed in to the hilt biting his lip to stop himself from climaxing. Mika's wanton moan nor the flutters he felt along her tight channel helped his struggle. He rocked his hips Mika's legs wrapping around him. The change in angle allowed his cock to inch further into her hot depths.

"I need you. I love you, Mika" Raizo panted. He ratcheted his hips at a feverish pace wanting to be so deep inside her she would never want or need another man. He loved the look of undisguised joy that overtook Mika's face either from his declaration of love or the orgasm that made her womb seize like a vise around his shaft. Her climax sent him soaring into sheer bliss. He gripped the back of her neck and cupped her ass anchoring his cock deep as he shuddered his release.

Shifting to rest on her side, he placed his hand above her heart loving the feel of it racing beneath his palm knowing he was the cause. Mika looked up at him with a glorious smile her eyes almost luminous. She traced her fingertip over his lips making his body forget he'd just taken her. Mika pulled him down so she could brush and nip at his lips.

Smiling, she whispered up at him, "I love you, too but I'm still not going anywhere."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hair still damp, Mika and Raizo returned to the main room only to be greeted by the delicious aromas of Valentina's kitchen. Ivan stood between two of the large metal boxes she'd seen on a pallet aboard the plane. His tall muscular frame bent to the knees as he leaned down over one box. Ivan removed several steaming containers placing them on the nearest table. **

"**What's this?" Mika asked coming to stand next to him.**

"**Mother's version of a picnic basket. She always packs too much food but this time it may come in handy. We have to delay our departure, twenty-four maybe forty-eight hours until the heat dies down." **

**He cracked the lid on a few of the containers then held two out to Gustof and Fazid who'd drawn closer. No doubt lured by the smell of Valentina's cooking. They hesitated slightly before taking what Ivan offered and retreating to where Cheng still sat at Kimiko's bedside. The older boy shook his head at Gustof's offer to share a sad smile marring his adorable face. It was a poor replacement for the one she'd seen beaming down at her through a metal grate when they'd been running for their lives.**

**Mika caught Ivan throwing Raizo covert glances behind her back. She turned catching him in the act. Cocking her hip, she gave him an inquisitive look. **

"**Forgive me, Mika. I … was …uh, are you okay?" The massive blonde stammered a rosy blush spreading across his sun baked cheeks. "We weren't hiding it from you. It was just … bad timing."**

**There would never be a good time for that news, she thought. The shock had sucked the breath from her lungs leaving Mika bitterly cold inside, numb. In the back of her mind, maybe she'd know they were dead but hope had been the fuel that kept her going when she'd wanted to shatter. Hope and Raizo. **

"**Yes, it was," she agreed giving his arm a reassuring squeeze and smiling up at him.**

"**Well, we're locked down for the night," Ivan said returning his attention back to warming food parcels. **

**Mika's eyes strayed back to Kimiko and instantly thought about the doctor.**

"**Who was…" Mika broke off at the sound of a … bear growling. It seemed to be coming down the hall towards them. A woman's voice rose over the rumbling.**

"**I said it would be fine if you stayed OFF your feet."**

"**I am fine. I'm just going upstairs to sit down. I've got work to do."**

"**Jumping up and down on it is not staying OFF," the woman shouted.**

**A second later, Alexi came around the corner hobbling from one leg to the other, his right one in some type of boot. A younger version of Valentina dressed in scrubs trailed behind him hands on her hips. **

"**I will when I get upstairs," Alexi roared hopping while he braced himself against the wall. He managed to make it over to the metal tables where they stood watching. **

"**Idiot," Ivan grumbled under his breath as Alexi stubbornly trudged on. **

"**Don't make me call Grandma," she said locking her arms across her chest glaring at his back. Alexi hissed turning on her with a wounded expression.**

"**You would threaten to rat on your favorite Uncle," he said as if she'd truly hurt his feelings.**

**She arched a brow up at him. "In a heartbeat," she snarled and they both glared at one another.**

**Ivan gave an exaggerated sigh and a mischievous smile lit his face as he passed Mika. He walked up behind his brother and quick as a flash scooped him up into a fireman's carry. They could still hear Ivan's laughter and Alexi's inventive swearing long after they'd disappeared upstairs.**

"**Mika. Hi, I'm Isabella. Grandmother speaks highly of you. She wants you to give a call when everyone's settled," the woman said drawing her into a hug.**

"**Oh, alright and thank you …Isabella. How is Kimiko?" Mika asked motioning. **

"**She's doing well. Four stitches to close the cut on her head but her leg is a different matter, looks like a compound fracture which can cause complications. My husband and I will be here for the next two days and we'll keep an eye on her progress."**

"**Lucky for us you were here," Mika replied. **

"**Luck had little to do with it. Grandma sent word that the family may need our help so …," she smiled as if the rest didn't need to be said. Mika instantly liked the woman. Isabella began stacking several food parcels one on top of the other. Her resemblance to the matriarch was uncanny. Mika had seen several photos with of Valentina in her youth and her granddaughter could have easily passed for her twin. **

"**You look amazingly like your Grandmother," Mika complimented.**

"**Thank you. Of my Uncles, my father resembled her most," Isabella said smiling graciously as she lifted the stack of boxes. "After I make sure Uncle Alexi is behaving and bring this to them. Those two will tear each other apart without food. We will be moving the girls to the room next to ours so we can monitor Kimiko during the night. Be right back."**

**Her eyes following the woman as she ascended the stairs, Mika realized Isabella must be Demetri's daughter. **

**A somber expression replaced Mika's smile as Raizo watched her eyes trail Demetri's daughter up the stairs and out of sight. Raizo could almost read her mind. She was thinking about those lost, Demetri… Lady Ozuno… the survivors. He came up behind Mika hugging her and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. Raizo was no good with words but he needed to comfort her.**

"**It … hurts less … if you concentrate on the ones you can help," he offered. **

"**I know," she said taking a deep breath releasing it slowly. She pressed a kiss to his throat before pulling away. Raizo lifted one of the parcels still on the counter and held it out to Mika motioning over to the eldest boy. He could hear the kid's growling stomach and his racing pulse. Mika took it and walked over to him. As Raizo followed the racing heartbeat revved. The two younger boys started visibly at his approach and jumped up from their seats to stand at the eldest's side.**

"**What? What's wrong," Mika asked alarmed. Unconsciously she stood as if trying to shield them but uncertain from which direction the threat would come. No one spoke. Cheng stood hands at his side with his head hung low trying not to meet Raizo's eyes while the other boys threw sidelong glances between him and Cheng. **

"**Gustof … Fazid …Cheng, talk to me. What's wrong?"**

"**Mika," Raizo called quietly. She turned confusion and frustration clear on her beautiful face. He held his hand out when she took it he pulled her to stand at his side. After their ordeal, she and the children had clearly gotten to know each other. They seemed to trust Mika and Ivan at least. Maybe an introduction would ease the building tension he felt emanating from the boys. **

**Before Raizo could open his mouth to speak, Cheng stepped forward one of his own blades in the boy's hand. Holding the blade handle out to him, the boy's heart fluttered in his chest. Its furious beats sounding like a hummingbird's wings beating against a cage. Time and memory warped and merged. Keriko stood before Lord Ozuno a sword firmly gripped in her hand. Defiance burning in her eyes as she stared down at the small blade he held out. **

"_**Make him bleed, Keriko. Failure must be sewn into the flesh."**_

"**I have … dishonored you with my disobedience, …Father," Cheng said quietly.**

**Raizo felt dread twist his guts into a tight knot at the sound of the old monster's growling voice in his head.**

"_**No child ever showed more promise." **_

**Mika misunderstanding the situation said, "What … no…Raizo, I gave that to him. Cheng, you didn't…"**

"_**You were the son I was waiting for, the one to take my place."**_

"**NO," Raizo barked reflexively startling Mika who jumped. She stared at him with concern while Cheng continued to wait blade held out awaiting his punishment. Raizo took a slow deep breath composing himself and silencing the monster's voice. **

"**Don't," he made an effort to soften his voice, "call me Father and put that away. You may need it in the future. Now, what are you taking about, Cheng?"**

**Evidently shocked, Cheng's eyes rose to met Raizo's for a minute before returning to the floor as he sheathed the blade and tucked it back into his pants.**

"**I withheld the keys when ordered," Cheng answered quietly. Confused Raizo turned to Mika. By the look of disgusted horror on her face, she understood now. Among the Ozuno, disobedience was paid for with blood and possibly death. After a moment, she swallowed a few times then proceeded to tell him about their escape after the building's collapse. When she came to the part about Cheng snatching the keys from her, Raizo wondered if Mika realized she'd worded the sequence of events in such a way as to defend Cheng. **

"**Why?" he asked returning his attention to Cheng and heard the hummingbird in the kid's chest resume its fight to escape. He didn't answer only dropped his head a few inches lower. **

"**Why? Why did you endanger yourself?" Raizo wasn't sure why he persisted but felt certain in his actions. Feeling Mika's desire to comfort Cheng, he sidestepped to block her advance. At her frown, he shook his head allowing the sympathy he felt for the kid to show through in his eyes. She pressed her lips together firmly and stayed put.**

"**Why did you risk their deaths …especially hers," he said pointing to Kimiko. **

"**I was …selfish," Cheng murmured. "I wanted … to drive …before my end … didn't know if I'd get another opportunity. Forgive my weakness."**

**Raizo heard Mika's stifled gasp and didn't try to stop her when she went to comfort Cheng this time. Observing Mika smiling affectionately at the teen while stroking his back, he thought back to what he'd been like at Cheng's age. He would have been prepping for his trial mission to complete his training. After Keriko's death, Raizo knew he possessed a heart and knew it died with her. It did not beat. And he did not feel. He never looked forward to …life as this boy had. Cheng had evidently made the decision to take every life experience where he could find them. He'd made the choice to live which made him far stronger than Raizo at his age. **

"**Wanting to live is not a weakness, Cheng."**

**Raizo walked past the group to stand next to where the older girl lay. He felt the boys' wariness as he placed his hand lightly over her leg. Closing his eyes, he used his energy to aid and quicken her healing. Opening his eyes, he saw their awed expressions and masked his discomfort by performing the same task to the cut on her head.**

"**I, myself, am new to 'living' but I have learned the most important part is keeping what you hold sacred safe from harm above all else. They are your reason for being. Always honor them, first," Raizo said meeting the kid's boggled expression. After a moment, conviction gleamed in Cheng's eyes and he bowed deeply.**

**Mika watched in amazement as Raizo healed Kimiko. She had no idea how he did it but was thankful he could. Mika was still trying to sort through everything she'd learned from Cheng and it turned her stomach. Discipline by blade was obviously normal for the children of the Ozuno. Not far off from her childhood norm during her foster care years. Mika clamped down on that thought and took a deep breath willing the oncoming panic attack away. She got herself under control just in time to give Raizo a reassuring smile as he studied her.**

"**Raizo … Mika. Maslow got your message. He's on the cam," Ivan called from the top of the step.**

**Relief shown in Ryan's tired eyes when she and Raizo entered the panel van. It was dark but the electronics provided adequate lighting. Ryan Maslow's image spanned three monitors and he didn't look good. **

"**You look like Hell, Ryan," Mika said sitting on the stool Ivan offered. Her friend gave a dry laugh.**

"**Miss you too, kid. Would someone tell me why the only thing left of the safe house in Bangkok is ashes and rubble?" **

"**What?" She shouted twenty minutes later as Ryan goggled at her throwing his hands up in exasperation. He'd listened to Raizo's account of the RPG attack without a word then Mika told him about Lady Ozuno's death and their escape after the attack. His calm had cracked at her description of the high speed chase.**

"**What!" he shouted back nearly in an apoplectic rage. He paced back and forth before a rumbled bed and metal nightstand. "You are Queen of the Shit Storm, you know that."**

"**Okay, now you're trying to offend me," Mika said crossly. **

"**You couldn't have just left her where she was," Ryan said talking over her head to Raizo. **

"**No. She would not have stayed put and you know it," Raizo answered him calmly. "And if she had not come, I don't know if all of the children would have made it out, Ryan."**

**The agent stopped his pacing. Head dropping, he said, "I know. You're right."**

**He seemed deflated in the wake of his tirade. She noticed the dark smudges beneath his eyes and lines of stress cutting into his cheeks making him appear gaunt. He looked so tired.**

"**I thought you, being a ninja and all that, would have better luck than I did trying to keep her in Berlin when you were headed to back to the Ozuno," Ryan muttered as if he were talking to himself. **

"**Well, you should have know better than that," Mika added dryly. Laughing, Ryan turned to the webcam shaking his head and scrubbing a hand over his face.**

"**Something's wrong. What is it, Ryan?" **

"**I tracked the order to round up the survivors. It was fucking Jameson. How did I not see that after the Berlin safe house. He set up the damn op, wanted it off the grid. Hell, he was probably the one who labeled those files 'DO NOT FUCKING PURSUE' in the first place."**


	15. Chapter 15

Mika and Ryan stared at each other through cyberspace both in shock. Their boss had done this but it made sense. Jameson was the Section Chief of Europol and head of their International Task Force for the last eighteen years, prime positioning to feed the Clans with information.

"So … what do we do? The other survivors and their families, Ryan?"

"It's alright, Mika. I placed those survivors myself. The agents have specific instructions to accept orders from me only or from an alternate with a password in the event of my death."

"What … you think it could come to that?" Mika asked concerned.

"No, just being overly cautious. I knew there was a leak but I never suspected Jameson. All eleven have reported in. I had them all change locales as a precaution but they're safe," Ryan said trying to reassure her.

"What about the others, the second group of orphans and the old couple?" Raizo asked stepping up behind Mika.

"They were all assigned to one safe house. I'm still trying to get in contact with the agent in charge. When I do, I'll let you know. But the rest of this doesn't make any damn sense. You said it was mercs. I know Jameson is in bed with the Clans but not mercenaries," Ryan pondered aloud.

Mika said nothing but looked up at Raizo. Her friend needed the missing pieces of the puzzle, the things Lady Ozuno had told them before her death. She understood why he withheld it. Mika had secrets of her own she would not want revealed before all.

"It was definitely mercs, RPG's, the drunks as a distraction, and a separate assault team through a secret entrance. Mercs," Ivan said crossing his arms.

Raizo was looking down at her twirling a ringlet around his finger. His mask slipped and Mika was surprised by the nervousness she glimpsed for an instant as his eyes glanced towards Alexi and Ivan. 'That was why he hesitated. He worried what they would think of him, she thought.

"Sounds like their brute force strategy but I doubt the Clans need mercenaries to do their dirty work," Ryan pointed out.

"True," the Titus brothers said in unison.

While the three men continued batting around theories, Mika turned on the stool away from the view of the others. She took his hand placing it above her heart. Looking up at Raizo, she smiled allowing the love she felt for him to show in her eyes.

'I love you no matter what and so do they. Or they would not be here,' she mouthed.

Raizo blinked at her as if stunned for a moment. Steeling himself, he slid his fingers into hers gripping her hand firmly then turned back to the others.

"Lady Ozuno told us it is not the Clans but one man, Mitsuru, Ozuno's son."

At the men's silence, Raizo plowed forward telling them everything the old woman had said including the old man's wish for him to be his successor. The gnawing anxiety in his gut dissolved more and more with each word he spoke.

"The idling van makes more sense then. They weren't there us, had no idea we'd be there. They were there for the kids. It was a diversion and an abduction," Alexi said when Raizo had finished. He nodded engrossed in thought from a folding chair his injured leg elevated on a stool.

"Those men were sent by Petriv Maldovo," Raizo said coldly.

All looked at him questioningly but only Ryan asked, "how you do know that?"

"One of the men from the van survived the crash. He told me before he died."

After five more minutes of theorizing, they exchanged goodbyes with Ryan agreeing to contact them again in twenty-four hours. Mika excused herself to go check on the children leaving the three men to sit in silence. Finally Raizo looked up to see both brothers staring at him.

"You were concerned about our reaction to this?" Ivan asked coming to stand before him.

Unwilling to lie to them, Raizo nodded. A pained looked crossed Ivan's face but disappeared in a flash as he shook his head. The big man walked up to him clasping Raizo behind the neck. He pulled him forward kissing him on the forehead.

"No worries, little brother. I need a drink. You?"

Raizo shook his head while Alexi stated his need for one as well. Still off kilter, he looked up to catch Alexi smiling broadly at him.

"Don't fully understand it yet, do you?" Alexi said affection brimming in his voice as he turned back to the monitors.

"Understand, what?" Raizo asked curious.

"How family works but hey, you're still learning," Alexi said smirking as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

Standing at his side, he watched as Alexi initiated several searches on Petriv Maldovo. And no doubt like Mikhail, he would be up all night seeking the information Raizo needed. Thankfully his brother, nor his niece would permit it and would make certain he rested. The thought made Raizo smile.

"I've been told that I'm a fast learner," he said placing his hand gingerly on Alexi's leg. The man froze then swore loudly when Raizo sent healing energy into his friend's limb.

An hour later, Raizo lay listening his body wrapped tightly around Mika while she slept. Fazid and Gustof were sleeping in a room down the hall. He could hear Isabella and her husband discussing Kimiko's sudden improvement. Cheng was in the same room as the others but farther away. By his mumblings he was talking to the little girl. It sounded as if the she'd woken from a nightmare and Cheng was now soothing her back to sleep. Alexi's snoring and the sound of a cup hitting the van floor as Ivan chuckled made him wonder what he'd given his brother to drink. Smiling in the dark as he continued listening to them all, it was oddly … peaceful.

He snuggled Mika closer her back to his chest one hand unconsciously dropping to rest over her belly. Catching himself, he removed his hand only to return it to the same spot. He had to admit that the idea of Mika being pregnant pleased him when Lady Ozuno had eluded to it. A mental picture forming the instant the idea landed. The Grecian sun shining down on Mika's skin making the bronze tone glow. Her thick curls stirring with the breeze as she sat propped on a lounge chair. Eyes closed, a glorious smile lit her face as she rubbed her belly. The image was sharp and vibrant in his mind. So were the tears that had spilled from her eyes when she'd told him she could not bear children. It was the third time Mika had glossed over her childhood. He could tell from her voice and the pounding of her heart that Mika too bore scars. She just concealed them better. He recalled the tight feeling in his chest at her admission. Raizo realized he had wanted it, wanted that future with Mika. And her tears told him she wanted it too. Concentrating, he summoned all his remaining energy. Pressing his lips to her temple, he forced it from himself and into her.

Mika woke to find Raizo still sleeping. It was so unusual she stared at him with apprehension debating whether or not to wake him for several minutes. His angel's face which hid behind his mask was fully revealed a slight smile curving his lips as he slept. Deciding to let him rest, she dressed and slipped from the room with coffee as her first priority. Padding down the hall to the cafeteria, Mika wondered if it was even morning. She walked to the pair of large boxes hoping to find instant grounds at least. The contents of the first box appeared to house the refrigeration and microwave units. Mika tried the second box and was not disappointed. Packed neatly, she found a coffee grinder, fresh grounds, and a brand new coffee maker still in the box.

Fresh cup in hand, she headed straight for the van. Mika found the contact instructions Alexi had left for her to follow. A minute later, the monitor directly before her changed to an hour glass then the view from Mikhail's command deck appeared on the screen. The unmistakable sounds of Ludacris's 'My Chick Bad' caught Mika completely off guard. Words clogged in her throat and did not dislodge until she saw Nico shirtless dance into view.

"Nico," Mika shouted trying to be heard over the music.

The man jumped but managed to hold onto the sandwich he'd been carrying. Recovering, he said, "Mika?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Nico had gone from startled to worried in an instant.

"We're fine. Nico, everyone is fine. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk to your …."

Suddenly it dawned on Mika, she had no idea what time it was not to mention the time difference.

"Nico, what time is it? I didn't even think about it. I can call back."

"A little after midnight. Oh, no you don't and get me in trouble. Sit right there. Mom and Dad won't care what time it is" Nico shouted as he ran out of sight.

Mika waited for ten minutes taking advantage of the time to sip her coffee and put her thoughts in order. Finally, Mika heard the sound of the elevator cutting through Luda bragging about ho's in different area codes. Nico appeared again running and fully clothed this time. Mika nearly fell off the stool as Valentina trailed behind fussing animatedly at him about the music. She sloshed a bit of coffee onto her hand when the matriarch began comically mimicking the same dance moves she'd seen her son perform a few minutes earlier.

"No more about ho's. Go on now so we can talk." Valentina yelled adjusting her pale pink robe as she shooed Nico away. "Now, let me see this cut on your forehead. Ivan said …hmm… Raizo must have healed it. Good."

"No, I'm fine. I didn't mean to get you out of bed. I should have checked the time," Mika said suddenly feeling embarrassed about calling so late.

"Nonsense. You needed to talk so you called. Simple as that. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm …," she trailed off. Valentina said nothing just waited for her to continue.

"Do you know…I mean, did anyone tell you what happened?" Mika asked trying to keep her voice steady, strong.

"Yes, the boys and Isabella told us as much as they could. We are very proud of you all. How are the children doing?"

"They're … alright considering. That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you and Mikhail about."

"He is coming … but what is there to talk about? You will bring them home to the island, of course." Valentina said it as if it were a foregone conclusion and a waste of time discussing. Mika felt tears stink her eyes and her vision blurred.

"Oh, Mika, sweet girl, share it with me," Valentina soothed with her voice.

"This … isn't why … I called," Mika said between gasps annoyed with herself for blubbering, again.

"I think it is, daughter. Now, tell me what's wrong?"

A few hours later, Raizo woke alone. It was a first since returning to Berlin for Mika. He didn't like it he thought frowning at her empty spot. Feeling sluggish, he showered and dressed then went in search of Mika. She was sitting on one of the long metal tables talking to the younger children while they eat. At sight of him, she stood to greet him with a kiss. It amazed him how something so simple made him feel. Pulling back, Mika gave him a critical once over then shoved a food box into his hands. Smiling, Raizo joined them for breakfast.

"Are you feeling okay?" Mika asked watching him intently as he ate.

"I'm fine, Mika." At her continued scrutiny, he said, "Truly, I'm fine."

After a moment, she relaxed but he wondered what his face revealed. Perhaps, it was a guilty conscience making him paranoid. More likely nearly a week of healing Mika's chest wound nightly along with what he'd done yesterday had finally taken its toll.

"Have you seen Ivan or Alexi, yet?" Raizo asked as a distraction.

"Yes, I just delivered a fresh pot of coffee to them. They're in the van, Alexi's on the hunt and Ivan was checking in with the flight crew."

"Any word on when we can leave?" Raizo asked Mika but turned his attention to the little girl at her side. Her jade eyes were fixed on him with the sharp gaze of a hawk as she chewed. Mika caught them studying each other.

"Raizo, this is Yusa. Yusa, Raizo." Mika said introducing the pair. He nodded in greeting while she continued staring for several long minutes.

"Are you going to hurt Cheng?" Yusa asked her voice ringing like wind chimes. She ignored Mika's sputter and the boy's hisses of disapproval but stared directly into Raizo's eyes.

"No, I will not hurt him or any of you and I will not permit anyone else to," Raizo answered returning the girl's intense gaze. She seemed to accept this as truth slowly relaxing before she continued her meal.

Cheng entered the room smiling from ear to ear. He was carrying Kimiko who did not appear to be happy about the arrangement. Isabella strolled behind the pair hands on hips, her enforced position, a smirk plastered on her face. Cheng sat Kimiko on the bench at Raizo's side taking extreme care with her leg then took the seat next to her.

"Okay, Cheng, you and I are in this together. Keep her off that foot," Isabella said staring at Kimiko who bristled visibly.

"How is she doing?" Mika asked Isabella.

"Excellent, the bone is mending quickly just like Uncle Alexi," she said casting a sly glance at Raizo. The women continued talking for several more minutes. He smiled hearing Mika ask about Kimiko's possible physical therapy needs. Raizo was standing to leave when she rejoined them.

"I'm going to train in the tunnel…" he broke off as all of the children shifted to him with longing in their eyes.

"Do you want to join me?" Raizo asked surprised. They rose as one only Kimiko stayed seated but not from lack of trying. Before Mika could open her mouth Cheng had placed a hand on the girl's shoulder thwarting her attempt and earning himself an annoyed frown.

"Come then. Fazid grab a chair from one of the rooms. Cheng carry Kimiko." He stayed back as they filed past his eyes meeting Mika's concerned gaze. "They will need to train. It is as natural as breathing for them."

Smiling faintly, she walked over and hugged him. "I understand."


	16. Chapter 16

Raizo had never provided instruction to anyone before and had no idea how to begin. The only way he knew was the old bastard's way. He led them downstairs and back down the tunnel past the stolen vehicles. Turning back to them, he saw each held a weapon. It appeared Mika had bestowed one of his weapons to each of the children.

"Are these your choices or Mika's?" Raizo asked observing how they held them with a certain reverence.

"She allowed us to choose," Cheng said proudly.

Raizo nodded masking the odd sense of gratification that settled in his chest. To assess each child's skill level and technique, he spared with all except for Kimiko. Then he paired Fazid and Gustof together as sparing partners while he and Cheng setup targets for shuriken practice for Yusa and Kimiko. The force required to throw with accuracy was more difficult from a sitting position but Kimiko persevered without complaint. By the set to her chin, she seemed eager for the added challenge. During Cheng's sparing session, Raizo became distracted glancing at Fazid's and Gustof's mirrored attacks and one of Cheng's blows connected. He grazed Raizo across the face bloodying his nose.

"Forgive me, Father," Cheng pleaded instantly dropping to the ground. Fear fueled the boy's accelerating heart and the hearts of the other children as they all sat tense and watchful. Ignoring the twisting in his gut, Raizo wiped at his nose looking down at the boy.

"Why do you call me that?" Raizo asked, his voice gruff with emotion.

Cheng lowered his head while the others avoided his gaze. Only Yusa met his eyes.

"That is what she called you." Her singsong voice trailed over to him from where the girl stood smiling shuriken in hand.

"She, who?"

"Mother Ozuno," she said shaking her head at his apparently silly question.

"_You were the son I was waiting for, the one to take my place."_

Raizo's mind reeled taking a step back like he'd taken a blow to the chest. "What else did she say," he asked chest heaving.

The girl's smile faded as she took him in her expression turning nervous. "She said that we would have … a new father, a new mother, … a new family."

Hope shone in her radiant eyes as she looked at him expectantly. He felt the others shift their gazes to him waiting for his response. The monster's deep rumble started in his mind and Raizo silenced it immediately. He was tired of listening to the bastard trying to taint his future with his past. In his heart, he wanted a family for them. After all they'd survived with their spirits intact, they deserved a family. Raizo extended a hand to help Cheng up and slowly the boy took it.

"She was right but … you are all to call me, Raizo. Continue," he said to Cheng and returned to a fighting stance.

Mika frowned as she witnessed Raizo's mask slide back into place as he resumed sparing with Cheng. A smile had curved his lips up until the moment Cheng had called him Father. She would have sworn fear had flashed in his eyes for a split second. It wasn't the first time he'd had that reaction but it only strengthened Mika's resolve to follow Valentina's advice.

She continued down the steps and lined up the bottles of water on the hood of the battered sedan. She heard Ivan walk up behind her over the thunk … thunk of the flying metal hitting the makeshift target. Turning to him, she saw the concern in his eyes as he watched Raizo.

"Oh, uh, Isabella went to the market this morning. She picked these up for the kids," Ivan said motioning to the basket he was carrying before placing it on the hood. Smiling, Mika saw it contained melons, apples, bananas, and mangos.

"Thought they might want a snack," Ivan said his eyes still focused on Raizo as he leaned against the car elbows resting on the hood. "Is he okay?"

Mika had not been the only one unnerved by Raizo's sleeping in this morning. Both brothers had become worried when she'd told them he was still asleep. By the look on Ivan's face now, she surmised he'd caught Raizo's reaction to Cheng's words.

"Yes, but … as your mother says 'some old wounds take forever to fully heal.'"

Ivan gave her a sad half smile nodding. "True. I take it you're the reason he shared what the old woman told you."

He said it not as a question but more like a declaration of gratitude the way he glanced at her swiftly then back to Raizo and the children. Mika mimicked Ivan leaning on the car so their arms touched and followed his gaze.

"Yes, I just had to explain to him that you and Alexi love him. And that if you didn't you wouldn't have come with us in the first place."

She felt the big man's muscles tense at her side but then Ivan began to bob his head vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, yes, you see. He is like Alexi and Demetri in that way, so gifted, so driven. It makes them … stupid," Ivan jeered smiling. She knew Ivan was fully aware Raizo could hear every word and she returned his wolfish grin nodding in understanding. He snapped erect quickly dropping a kiss on the top of her head then snagged several pieces of fruit from the basket.

"We'll be here for one more day. Alexi wants a clear shot home and that's our best bet if we leave tomorrow morning. You need anything, let me know," he said turning back towards the stairs.

Mika returned to spy Raizo's features soften as he bent to assist Yusa with her grip on the throwing star before a thought struck her. She caught up to Ivan who was cutting fruit at one of the tables.

"There is a favor you could help me with, Ivan," she said meeting his curious look. "Would you mind acting as Driving Instructor?"

He squinted at her utterly perplexed then beamed broadly.

Raizo hadn't intended for their workout to last this late into the afternoon. They had taken a break for water and fresh fruits. Then Cheng had shown interest in the hook and chains and they had automatically resumed training. Ivan's exaggerated throat clearing and a tap to his watch had Raizo quickly ending the session.

He tossed them each a fresh bottle of water then turned to Ivan, who had a machine pistol holstered under his jacket.

"Any news," Raizo asked as he bought his own bottle to his lips.

"Not yet but father and Alexi are in the zone. They should have something soon. In the meantime," Ivan said raising his voice and shifting to the children. "I am Uncle Ivan, your new favorite Uncle. We're hitting the town for dinner and fun, Mika's orders, and Cheng you're driving."

Cheng's mouth fell open and his eyes bugged seeming to slip backwards in time to display the delighted wonder of a innocent young boy who still believed in dragons and wizards. They all turned to Raizo as if seeking reassurance or permission. Again that unsettling cocktail of satisfaction and anxiety roiled in his gut. Ignoring Ivan's smart ass pleading grin, he turned to Cheng.

"Take your weapons."

Cheng nodded furiously then cast the others austere glances which they promptly returned. Their excited smiles returned and oddly had the same effect on him as Mika's when one lit her face, he thought as they gathered around Ivan. Yusa wrapped her hand around two of Ivan's fingers as they turned and began walking further down the tunnel towards the entrance.

Still confounded by how enjoyable he'd found training with the kids, Raizo heard the music before he entered their room but was in no way prepared for the sight before him. Mika stood in the center of the room in a black lace chemise her riot of curls loose around her shoulders. The fine straps trailed down to lace which firmly cradled her pert breasts but permitted the erect nipples to peek through at him. Sheer black fabric draped her waist down over her hips stopping just below the junction of her thighs barely covering the sparse patch of curls there. Mika giggled nervously nibbling her bottom lip as he continued to stand dumbfounded in the doorway. Collecting himself, Raizo shut the door behind him only to lean against it while his eyes returned to feasting on Mika.

"Do you like it?" she asked with a naughty smile as she took a few steps towards him. His eyes drawn to the juncture of her thighs, Raizo nodded dumbly.

"Where did you get it," he asked his voice coming out as a gruff whisper.

"Valentina, sly old lady, she packed my suitcases, smuggled this hidden in a pair of jeans," she said shrugging. The movement caused the hem to rise revealing dew soaked curls covering her pussy. Raizo groaned in approval eyes fixed on one of the straps as it dipped off her left shoulder giving him a better view of the swell of her breast. She took a few more steps until she stood directly before him then rose on tip toes to kiss him. The heat of her mouth melting his paralysis, he slipped one hand down to cup her firm ass the other behind her head. Raizo slid his tongue into her mouth craving her taste. He lifted her slightly letting her body slide down his as he ground his erection against her. They were both panting when she pulled back to look up at him through her lashes.

"Are you ready for a new lesson?" Mika asked her expression a sexy combination of naughty innocence that made Raizo growl low in his throat. She took it as a 'yes' and unwrapped his arms from around her pressing them up against the door.

"You're not allowed to touch until I say," she said giving him a stern look which he returned with a smirk and a challenging lift of his brow. Smiling with devilish intent, Mika slid his shirt off and began skimming her fingernails over his chest and stomach. Watching him with hooded eyes, she grazed her nails over his nipples causing him to suck in a ragged breath. She trailed her fingers down to his navel into his workout pants then into the hair sprouting around the root of his cock. Mika took him in her hot hands cupping his sack and stroking him. Raizo's head fell forward as pleasure stole the breath from his lungs. She brushed teasing kisses against his lips as he fought the urge to snatch her up and bury himself deep.

"Ready?"

He felt her smile against his throat before she dropped to her knees. Before his pleasure drenched mind could catch up, he felt Mika's hot breath blow on the sensitive head before she took him into her mouth. Molten heat enveloped him sending his eyes rolling up into his skull as he wheezed her name. Mika's tongue teased his throbbing slit creating lightning zinging up his spine. His head snapped backwards smacking his skull against the metal door with an audible, 'thump'.

"Raizo, are you okay?" Mika said jumping to her feet. She tugged his head down trying to examine him for injuries.

"What? No…I mean … yes. I'm fine," Raizo said annoyed with himself as he followed her over to the bed. He sat while she loomed over him gingerly running her fingers over his scalp. It merely stiffened his already granite hard erection.

"Mika, I'm fine … please," he pleaded frustration clear in his voice. She pulled back smiling lasciviously down at him.

"Please … what?" she whispered. Her tongue swiped across his earlobe before she suckled on the sensitive flesh. His body pulsated with desire destroying his calm and reserve reducing him to carnal need and pure compulsion.

"God, Mika, please … put your mouth on me," Raizo begged roughly. Her luscious lips parted and again his sex was doused with the heat of her sweet mouth.

"Damn," Raizo roared meeting her covetous eyes.

Unable to tear his eyes from hers, he watched as she worked her mouth up and down his shaft periodically sliding her tongue along the underside and sucking hard on the head. Each time he clutched at the bedding and fought against his building orgasm. Needing to be inside of her, Raizo pulled Mika up and into a fierce kiss, protests quickly turning to moans. He palmed her sex dipping two fingers inside testing her readiness for him. Honey coated her thighs already yet he still teased and tortured her clit with his thumb making her breath hitch and hips buck.

"Mika, I need you now," Raizo demanded gruffly pulling her onto his lap. He pressed the head to her slick lips and gritted his teeth as Mika sank down onto his shaft. Fully seated in her hot channel, he held her tightly to him as they both shuddered. Slowly, Mika began to rise and fall milking his staff as she rode him. Raizo opened his mouth to take in each of her turgid nipples. First nibbling then slathering it with his tongue before sucking hard on the nipple. Mika unleashed a decadent moan as she planted both hands firmly on his chest and increased her pace. Wanton noises escaped her throat when he clamped a hand down over her hips locking himself deep before snapping his hips.

"Oh yes, Raizo," Mika moaned as he slammed her down onto his shaft over and over again filling her to the hilt. A wicked gleam flashed in her eyes as she cried out. Her body arching taunt like a bow set to fire as her channel fisted around his cock thrusting him over the edge with her. Clutching her to him, Raizo's muscles jerked as he spilled his seed into Mika's fiery core. They lay still intimately connected, Mika draped across him panting and utterly resplendent in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Enjoying the contentment that stole over him, he stroked down the string of pearls that was Mika's spine. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he said, "I think I failed that lesson."

Mika snorted and giggling said, "you get excellent marks for … effort. But as far as sticking to the rules, you're right. You failed."

"I guess then … we will have to work on this lesson until I get it right," Raizo said coyly.


	17. Chapter 17

Mika sat up playfully swatting at Raizo's chest . He laughed stroking a hand up and down her spine lingering longer and longer on her rump with each pass. It was the most relaxed she'd ever seen him. She took a moment to memorize him like this and wished she didn't have to ruin it. Mika steeled herself.

"You want children."

Raizo's vibrant smile faded.

"I know you do. I can see it in your eyes."

He opened his mouth to speak but Mika placed a finger to his lips quieting him as she continued.

"You said that you don't care … but I know you do. You want them, but you can't stand to be called 'father'."

"Mika" he mumbled around her fingers.

"It's like … it causes you pain. I've sent it, Raizo. How can you want to be a father if you can't stand the word? Because … if we stay together, you won't be. You can't be and I know you want to. I can't … I won't do that to you. I won't let you settle …"

"Mika…Mika, look at me!"

She tried to focus on his face. Finding it difficult, she realized tears were blurring her vision. Mika thought she had gotten it out in a perfectly calm and reasonable manner. By Raizo's distressed expression as he stroked her cheeks tenderly, she hadn't succeeded as well as she thought she had.

"Calm down, Mika, please and explain," he urged wiping away tears.

"It's been bothering you, no eating at you. There are so many things I don't know. Things you haven't told me and I need …"

"You also have secrets," he snapped defensively.

"You're right. We needed to talk. I… well …she suggested. Oh Hell, I can't do this," Mika said flustered.

The blind leading the blind, she thought to herself as she tried to get up. Raizo held her in place palming her head in his hands so she was forced to look into his eyes.

"What are you saying, Mika?" His words were ragged with pain and fear flashed in his eyes.

"Raizo, not that baby, never that," she soothed sliding her palms over his chest. "I'm sorry. I suck at this … at relationships. I haven't had much experience with them. Honestly, … I don't really know what I'm doing. I, uh … sort of talked to Valentina about … us. Don't be mad," Mika added quickly regarding him carefully.

"I am not mad. It's reasonable. Mikhail and Valentina have been married for many years."

"Exactly," she said relieved he followed her logic. "So I asked her for advice and …"

"What did she say?"

Mika clamped her mouth shut. Trust it to Raizo if she didn't want to mention something that would be the very first thing he'd ask. He smirked as if he knew there was something she was omitting.

"Mika," he prodded.

"She said … only have a serious discussion with a man when he doesn't have on any pants. That way he can't … get away," she said avoiding his gaze.

Raizo made a point of looking down to where they were still joined. Brows arched, he nodded in agreement before laughing.

"She has a point," Raizo added, his chuckling tapered off slowly. The twinkle in his eyes dimmed then vanished as he seemed to turn inward.

"When Cheng called you, Father, that blow hurt worse than the bloody nose. Didn't it?"

Sighing heavily, Raizo propped the pillows beneath his head with one hand and held her tight to his chest with the other. After several long minutes, he spoke.

"I knew. I knew he wanted me to take his place before Lady Ozuno told us. He told me when Takeshi took me back. I wasn't afraid to die but the thought that I might have become like him …. It haunts me. If I allow this then I'm that much closer to …"

She read the worry in his eyes and finished his thought. "becoming him. Doing exactly what he wanted."

Raizo's eyes flashed with hurt as if her voicing his own fears aloud were an accusation.

"I will never be him," he scathed heatedly.

"I know that, Raizo. You could never be like him but you're still centered on what he wanted for you and not what you want for yourself. You've let him poison the word. Even after you know what a true father really is."

Mika could tell her off-handed reference to Mikhail had snared his attention. She pressed on.

"And if they chose to call you father, it won't mean the same to them as it did then. They'll learn that it means someone they trust not fear, someone who would die to protect them, and someone … that would travel halfway around the world to find them and keep them safe," she said resting her chin on his chest and blinking up at him sweetly.

Lips curling in a soft smile, Raizo looped a ringlet of her hair around his finger. He nodded in understanding.

"Even if that someone has no idea how to be a father?"

"There is nothing a quick learner can not accomplish," Mika replied with a stroke to his sensual lips. The vibrant smile returned then turned serious as he sat up abruptly clutching her tightly against him.

"I love you, Mika. You are the only one I want, more than children, more than family. I didn't even know what those words meant until you."

Mika's heart sang. The niggling doubts she'd been carrying around like a pebble in her shoe disappeared. Tears stung her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she let him draw her down into a sultry kiss. They had more to talk about but shamefully she allowed him to drive them both to distraction.

Raizo picked up the cell phone to look at the time readout only to put it down again. He continued to lean casually against the stair's railing as he stared down the empty tunnel.

"You realize that's the sixth time you've checked in the last fifteen minutes. I'm sure they're fine Raizo," Mika offered as reassurance. He nodded but his gaze and all his senses returned to the tunnel.

"You know they're safe with Ivan," Mika said with a light chuckle shaking her head at him.

He nodded again but worrying thoughts bubbled in his brain, Cheng's first driving lesson … on the streets of Bangkok …with Ivan. Instantly, the memory of Ivan grinning manically at him as he asked him to take the wheel before hanging out the window flashed in his mind. Raizo reached to check the time again but Mika snatched the cell phone up first. She nibbled her lip nervously as she set it back down and glanced at him sheepishly. At that moment, he heard them pull up outside and the sound of the gates sealing after them.

"They're back," he said, muscles relaxing as he turned to Mika. He didn't miss her exhalation of relief. The roar of the engine echoed up the tunnel preceding their approach.

"What?" Mika asked studying him curiously.

"Nothing, they're … singing," he answered a smile forming as he listened.

A rusty blue minivan drove into sight parking a few yards from the other cars. Mika laughed as Ivan's gravelly voice bellowed the chorus to Beyonce's Single Ladies, Put a Ring on it, with the kids singing along. As they exited the van, one voice dominated carrying the melody. The soulful voice that emitted from Yusa's petite body was astounding. The boys pulled a wheelchair from the back and Cheng placed Kimiko on the seat. Still singing, Ivan led the group over to them carrying several shopping bags and Yusa gripping his hand. By the time the group stopped before them at the base of the stairs, Raizo and Mika were rolling with laughter.

"What!" Ivan said indignant.

By four a.m., everyone was fully loaded in the transports and heading to the airfield. A little banter at the gate and the usual greasing of palms and they were driving towards a large aircraft hanger at the end of the runway. Climbing from the van, they were greeted by Erik and the rest of the crew. They loaded several pallets then the van was driven into the cargo area. The sound of faltering steps at his back had Raizo halting thereby drawing Mika to a stop. She gave him a perplexed look before turning around. The kids stood a few feet away. They were in a tight group around Kimiko's wheelchair, trepidation and …something else, he couldn't place in their eyes as they regarded the plane.

Raizo much preferred their excited smiles from last night as they described their evening with their 'favorite' Uncle Ivan. A flipbook of those very images revolved in his mind; Yusa's prideful smile when Kimiko bragged about the little girl taking first place in a karaoke contest, Cheng's boyish grin as he imitated driving while recounting his first lesson, Kimiko beaming up at Mika as she displayed the dress Ivan had purchased for her, and Fazid and Gustof's exuberance as they described the sights and sounds of the city's nightlife. Now, fear had stolen the joy from their faces.

"You can't blame them," Mika said softly at his side. "The last time they trusted Europol. they were carted off to a strange country, forced to live underground only to watch their caretaker die."

Raizo grunted in understanding. Leaving Mika standing on the ramp as he crossed over to them, he began to fully comprehend the amount of trust they'd already given him. Yet, he was still asking more of them. He'd been so focused on getting them back to the island he had not taken the time to explain that this journey was towards a future rather than simply an escape. Stopping before them, Raizo took in their expressions at the hope and the possibilities struggling to shine beneath a layer of fear.

"I will not give you back to Europol. Those men are Ivan and Alexi's kin. They can be trusted," he said. "I want to take you someplace safe. I want …"

Their furtive glances up at him had his well thought out speech turning to sand in his mouth. I suck, he thought sighing. He glanced back towards Mika. She stood where he'd left her smiling back.

"This plane will take us to … my home. Mika and I want you to come with us."

Yusa stepped forward and slid her hand into his. The feel of her little palm resting his made his chest tight but he returned her grip. As one they started towards the plane.

Stepping onto the runway, Mika inhaled deeply enjoying the scent. She was momentarily blinded by the sunlight before her eyes adjusted. Valentina was crossing the asphalt with Mikhail briskly keeping pace with her despite the cane. Mika meet her halfway and was crushed in the woman's arms. Valentina pulled away giving Mika an examining once over from head to toe even brushing her hair back from her brow.

"I told you, Valentina. I'm fine," Mika reassured. She merely smiled tucking Mika's head to her chest.

"Love, stop fussing. You'll smother her," Mikhail chided as he took Mika in a one armed hug.

Mika watched as Valentino performed the same greeting and inspection on the others. She smiled away tears as Mikhail hugged a startled Raizo lifting him off his feet. As he embraced his sons, Mika saw the children were still standing next to the plane. Catching Cheng's nervous eyes, she beckoned to them with a crook of her finger. Slowly they approached stopping as the adults took notice.

"And these beautiful children?" Valentina said addressing them.

"They are mine," Raizo declared immediately.

He appeared a little stunned at himself. Valentina beamed at him and Mika swore she saw tears in the woman's eyes.

"Well then, please introduce us," Valentina said.

"This is Cheng, Kimiko, Fazid, Gustof, and the little one," Raizo said pointing to Yusa who was tucked into Mika's side, "is Yusa. Children, this is Valentina and Mikhail Titus. They are …"

"His family," Mikhail piped up. The old man bowed dramatically before Yusa extending his hand. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess."

The little girl smiled timidly. Though her hand shook, she placed it in Mikhail's giant palm. He bowed forward to kiss her hand but swayed dramatically. Instantly, Yusa rushed to help him.

"Thank you, you're so kind," Mikhail chimed but leaned precariously in the other direction. Fazid and Gustof leapt to support him.

"Thank you ever so much, young Princes. Now if you'd be so kind as to assist me. Our chariots await," he said guiding the trio towards the parking area. He cast a wolfish grin over his shoulder and winked at them.

Grinning, Ivan shook his head, "He's after my title as favorite already."

"Grandpa trumps Uncle," Valentina said smiling after Mikhail. Turning back to them, she continued, "Well, you must be starving. Lunch is waiting"

They piled into the vehicles and made the journey towards the house. Upon entering the courtyard, a roar of cheers and laughter erupted. Children crowded around the Jeep as they got out.

"Calm down, little ones," Valentina laughed as they jostled one another. "They are tired and hungry. Let them get settled in first. There will be plenty of time to meet everyone."

The pack was slowly dispersing as Valentina led them through the house and out onto the garden terrace for lunch. After the plates were picked clean and cleared away, Valentina rose motioning for Mika and the children to follow her upstairs.

"Let's get you all settled. I've made up rooms for them but they may find the house to noisy. I believe Raizo had the same problem. We would often find him on the rock ledge overlooking the courtyard. On warm nights they can sleep out in the field near the house," Valentina said as they climbed to the second floor.

"Is that why you built the house up there?" Mika asked.

"Exactly," Valentina beamed. She waited for the children to gather at the end of the hallway before continuing. "The girls are on the left. Boys are on the right but each side has a connecting bath. Well, I won't hover. Let me know if you need anything. I'll keep the hounds at bay for a bit longer while you make yourselves at home."

She swept past them stopping to plant a kiss on Mika's cheek before retreating back down the hallway. She turned to see the children looking hesitantly at the closed doors.

"Well, come on. Let's see inside," Mika said grasping the nearest knob and pushing the door wide.

The room's interior was done in creams. There was a full bed covered with Valentina's little handmade pillows, a dresser, and a desk. The little accents of lavender and lace gave it a hint of femininity.

"I think this is for you, Kimiko," Mika said motioning Cheng to bring her forward.

He sat her in the wheelchair that was sitting at the foot of the bed. Kimiko, whose personality was usually as stoic as Raizo's, gaped as she surveyed the room completely bewildered. Fazid and Gustof gave each other pointed looks and darted from the room.

"I'll be right back," Mika said following after the boys.

She entered to find them bouncing on a pair of plush beds on either side of a large room. The setup was similar to Kimiko's but everything was in pairs. A pair of metal girders that traverse the room from floor to ceiling was the biggest difference. Confused as to the purpose, she watched Gustof bounce off the bed and latch onto the metal rungs literally walking up the wall.

"Oh my goodness," Mika laughed watching the boys climb along the ceiling.

"Come on. I want to see mine, too," Yusa said tugging on Mika's hand.

They crossed the hall to the remaining door. Yusa peeked inside before squealing and disappearing inside. Mika followed and was struck by the vibrant colors. Where Kimiko's room was muted and subtle, Yusa's room was a mix of jewel tones. The same indoor jungle gym was mounted up and down the walls and across the ceiling. Yusa instantly began climbing. Mika slipped out and took a moment to look in on Cheng. She saw him through the open door just sitting on the bed. He was staring around the room done in calming greens and blues. He caught her watching him and threw her one of his brilliant grins.

Mika ducked back into Kimiko's room to find her in the closet fingering the dresses and other clothes hung neatly and … crying.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Mika asked rushing over and dropping to her knees next to the wheelchair.

Gripping the armrests, she shook her head but remained silent.

"Please, Kimiko. Please, tell me," Mika pleaded grasping the girl's hands.

Still choked with emotion, she looked up towards the dresses lining the closet.

"What? Is it the clothes? You've … never had so many?"

Kimiko sniffled and managed a nod. Mika embraced the girl. She'd expected Kimiko to flinch at the contact but instead she rested her head on Mika's shoulder.

"Knowing Valentina, she probably picked out everything in this room just for you," she said pulling a few tissues from the bedside table and blotting Kimiko's eyes. "It's okay to be overwhelmed. Valentina and Mikhail have that effect …not all families are the same."

"Is everything alright," Valentina said from the doorway.

Kimiko snatched the tissues from Mika hiding them under her thigh. Mika covered for her by saying, "oh we were just debating which dress Kimiko should wear today?"

It was all the prodding Valentina needed. She began pulling sundresses from the closet and laying them out across the bed. When Mika slipped from the room, the two had narrowed it down to three dresses. Yusa nearly ran her down as she stepped out into the hallway.

"Have you seen Raizo?" she asked.

"I heard him say he was going up to a house," Yusa chimed as she skipped down the hall into the boys' room.

Mika exited the front door and was nearly trampled by curious kids. They quickly lost interest when they realized she wasn't a potential playmate. She jogged up the stone stairway, under the arch, and stopped dead. The once empty field on the left side of the house was littered with wooden pegs and string looped between them. Raizo stood motionless on the porch. Walking towards him, she noticed neon orange spray paint here and there within the string outlines. She stepped onto the porch and into his arms.

"What's all this," Mika asked looking over her shoulder at the outlines.

Raizo opened his mouth but nothing came out. After a few moments, he said, "Mikhail said Valentina had a new construction project … They plan to build rooms for the children."

As Raizo choked the words out, Mika thought of Kimiko's reaction to the Titus's generosity. Smiling, she snuggled against him.

"That's just what they do," Mika said.


	18. Chapter 18

Lanterns lined the top of the low stone wall which surrounded the backyard terrace of the Titus's home. Their amber light bathed the large table littered with plates nearly licked clean. The family milled about the yard talking as children darted through and around groups of adults laughing and playing. Raizo and Mika sat with their hosts at the head of the table relaxing as they watched the others.

"You're bosses are having a bit of a shake-up. Europol was plastered over several headlines today,' Mikhail said pouring himself an after dinner drink.

"It seems there's a high ranking Europol director at the center of some type of internal investigation."

"Excellent. Hopefully, it will lead right back to Jameson, the slimy bastard," Mika said her eyes quickly bugging at her own words.

"Sorry, Ouzo has gone to my head," she said pushing her glass out of reach.

"Nonsense," Mikhail chimed and lifted his glass in a toast.

"Here's to the slimy bastard's getting what they deserve."

Laughing slightly, Mika lifted her glass clinking it against Mikhail's.

"Sorry, it's just that when I talked to Ryan an hour ago, he said the excavation team in Bangkok listed the children as dead on scene but they'll figure it out when there a few bodies short. They'll know they're still alive somewhere," Mika said as she played with the stem of her glass.

Valentina released a little gasp and extended her hand across the table. She gave Mika's hand an affectionate squeeze.

"Do you think they'll try and take the children back?"

"Ryan knows that is NOT happening," was Mika's steely reply.

Razio leaned in giving her temple a kiss. Mikhail lifted his half empty glass in solidarity.

"Besides," the old man said distractedly as a chorus of applause went up at the sound of music playing.

"How would they know who to look for?"

Mika and Raizo stared at him dumbly for a moment while Valentina merely began to hum along with the music. Maybe he was just inebriated because Mikhail was too sly a wolf to overlook the obvious, Raizo thought.

"Europol printed and photographed all survivors. They even managed family histories on a few. Everything is in their files," Mika stated glumly.

"Oh, you're absolutely right. There are fingerprints and photos in Europol's files," Mikhail agreed with sincerity.

"But not of anyone living," he finished watching as the crowd parted to couples swaying to the music.

"You … You," Mika stammered, tears filling her eyes even as a broad smile spread across her face.

"Thank you," she managed after a moment of blinking back tears.

"Not necessary, I won't allow outsiders keeping tabs on family," he uttered his voice turning to ice at the end.

The music changed to Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon' turning the old man's mood with it. Abruptly he rose then bowed to Mika before taking her hand. Mikhail led her over to the impromptu dance floor. She was grinning happily as the old man twirled her around with surprising grace. They nearly collided with a giggling Yusa as Ivan spun the girl around while they danced. Raizo tried to help when Valentina began stacking plates but she pushed him back down. At her pointedly look and threat, he returned to surveying … his family. Soon after, the matriarch had the entire group meandering along the shore for an evening stroll.

Long after everyone had retired for the night, Raizo stared out into the sky as he lying close to Mika while she slept deeply. Her steady breathing and the usual night sounds of the island were a soothing song. Yet, his mind refused to quiet. There was an odd sense of … excitement buzzing in his brain and his chest.

Suddenly the sound of footsteps on stone cut through his thoughts. Listening intently, Raizo knew exactly who was quietly flitting up the stairs. The pale pink nightgown glowed as she came into view sprinting across the field without disturbing the maze of string. Her little heart was pounding out a terrifying rhythm. He caught the glint of the steel shuriken clutched in her hand as she stepped up onto the porch. She crept through the open screen door with caution and sat in the chair at the desk. Drawing her knees up, Yusa rested her head on them and pulled herself into a little ball. Rocking slightly, she faced into the night her hand gripping the throwing star so hard he could scent the blood and knew she'd cut herself.

Raizo gently nudged Mika awake. She gave him a sleepy look but followed his gaze. Instantly awake, she sat up observing Yusa for a long moment.

"Yusa," Mika called softly but received no response. It took two more tries before the girl flinched then turned to face them. The fear in the girl's eyes was palpable reaching out and cold cocking him. He must have tried to rise because Mika placed her palm on his stomach halting his movements.

"Bad dream?" Mika asked.

The girl nodded ducking her head into the cradle of her arms.

"You can sleep next to me," Mika called gently.

Slowly, Yusa slid from the chair and crossed to Mika's side of the bed. With a little tug, she climbed in next to Mika who wrapped the girl in her arms tucking her head to rest against her chest. Raizo pulled the blanket up around the pair. As they drifted into sleep, he reached over and deftly plucked the shuriken from Yusa's slackened grip.

The next morning, Mika rolled over to find herself in bed alone. She laid there her mind drifting back to the things Mikhail had said, an internal investigation. Ryan hadn't mentioned a thing but admittedly her only interest was finding the rest of the children. Guilt gnawing at her, Mika showered and dressed quickly before sitting at the desk. She dialed the number Ryan had given her for emergencies. He answered on the second ring.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing …nothing's wrong," Mika replied quickly trying to calm him. "I just needed to talk to you. Are you okay?"

There was silence for a moment then a deep chuckle before Ryan said, "Is this the same person who cussed me out yesterday?"

Mika tried to explain why she'd jumped down his throat when he'd mentioned that Europol would figure out the children's bodies were not in the wreckage soon but he wouldn't have it.

"Forget it, Mika," Ryan said cutting her off. "I understand. I had a family once."

"You still do, Ryan."

There was silence again for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"Thanks, Mika. I was about to call you with some good news, finally reached the last safe house. They're secure. The team leader is a bit of an ass but I was able to push through a relocation order."

"That's great, Ryan. I'll pass it on. Look, I heard there's an internal investigation ongoing. Who do we have to thank for that?

"I'm not as efficient as you in the shitting raining department but I can do some damage. This investigation is going to gut Europol. With Jameson's dirty fingers all over sixty percent of our cases, it's going to get pretty nasty very quickly."

"You hate shit on your shoes," Mika added grinning into the receiver at the witty snap in his voice that she missed.

"Let's just say, I'm looking forward to either a promotion or early retirement, not worried how this ends for me. Not after all that's happened," Ryan ended with a hard edge to his voice.

"Just be careful."

Ryan pacified her then promised to transmit the new safe house info before they exchanged goodbyes. She sat staring at the phone for a few minutes. The other children were safe, so why was there still an unsettling feeling in her gut. Mika tried to dismiss the feeling as she headed down to the house. She found Raizo in the courtyard in deep discussion with Valentina. When she approached, he wrapped an arm around her waist and the matriarch leaned forward to kiss her cheek in greeting.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Valentina promptly asked scrutinizing her with a sort of motherly x-ray vision.

Mika quickly conveyed Ryan's good news keeping her worries to herself. Raizo's smile was brilliant and infectious turning her forced grin into a true smile.

"Such good news, maybe today isn't the right day to do this," Valentina murmured to herself.

"For what," Mika asked.

"A funeral," Raizo answered sobering.

After they shared the news with the children, everyone in the house spent the day preparing for the service which would commence after dinner. When the time came, all ascended the stairs and gathered near a grouping of rocks that formed the far wall. Etched into the stone was the image of a bonsai tree. It had seemed wrong to honor them with the names their kidnapper had chosen for them. Raizo decided on the tree, a symbol of life, and the children had agreed. Yusa and the boys drew close to Mika as Mikhail offered a quiet prayer. Each person held a lit pillar candle as they made their way down to the steps then through the courtyard. The procession of lights cut through the dark as it continued down the hill to the beach. Placing the candles side by side at the water's edge, they watched as Ivan and Alexi light up the night's sky with fireworks before everyone finally retired.

Nestled between Yusa and Raizo staring up at the ceiling, it was Mika up late that night with worry sitting like a stone in her gut. Before dawn broke over the island, Raizo rose from the bed stretching his sleekly muscled body as he walked into the kitchen. Captivated by the way his sleep pants hung low on his hips, Mika watched him cross to the kitchen. He put a kettle on to boil then turned the coffeemaker on to brew. Tasks complete, he came over to stand next to her side of the bed. Seeing she was awake, a broad grin spread across his face. He stood there for several minutes just gazing back and forth between her face and Yusa's head resting against her chest. Slowly, he reached out and gently stroked the girl's sleep tousled curls. His smile changed deepening into a kind of enchanted wonder that nearly brought tears to her eyes. Brushing curls back from her innocent face, Raizo whispered her name. Instantly, the little girl's jade orbs popped open and focused on him.

"Good morning," she chimed.

"Good morning, did you …uh, sleep well?" he inquired a bit awkwardly.

Mika felt Yusa tense, her little fingers digging into her waist. She ducked her head as if embarrassed but nodded.

"Good," he said stroking her head.

"I am going to train in an hour. Would you like to join me?"

Her curly-top bobbed up and down vigorously as she extracted herself from Mika and the covers. Blood rushed back into her arm sending pins and needles pricking along her flesh. Yusa jumped up and was already sliding open the screen when Raizo added, "tell the others to join us if they choose." They watched her skip across the stones towards the steps before he turned back to Mika. The tingling in her arm spread throughout her body catching the look on his face. The smile was still there but it had turned carnal, hungry. The glint in his eyes was downright predatory as he took her hand and led her into the shower.

Later when they stepped out onto the deck, the children were sitting in the grassy field. Each child was munching on a piece of fruit and some sort of pastry. Mika grinned knowing Valentina would not have let them out the house without having some sort of breakfast. Heading for the house, she kissed them each good morning leaving stunned and blushing cheeks in her wake before making her way down the stairs.

The big house was quiet except for Valentina preparing breakfast before the rest of the children awoke. At Mika's offer to help, she smiled and handed her a plate of eggs, sausage, and fruit. Before releasing it, Valentina halted her brows knit with concern.

"Are you alright, Mika?"

Undoubtedly, she had a set of luggage beneath her eyes from the restless night. It had been silly to think the old woman would not notice.

"I had trouble sleeping," Mika offered as a half-truth.

"Yusa, again," Valentina said with a sympathetic smile nodding her head.

She gave Mika a pointed look then arched her brows sternly as she stared back at the untouched plate. Mika promptly began eating while she continued.

"That sweet girl isn't the only one having sleepless nights. I went to check on them last night. Ninja or not, I have raised too many children to not know when someone is out of bed. Fazid and Gustof were at the front door, again."

"Doing what?" Mika asked fork halfway to her mouth.

Valentina dried her hands on a dishtowel then began lining up trays full of food along the counter.

"The way they were positioned like sentries, I think they were guarding the house. I caught Raizo doing it often when he first arrived. I shooed them back into bed but I noticed Kimiko and Cheng were not in theirs."

"Where were they?"

Valentina wiggled her brows but left her in suspense again as she rolled a cart laden with plates and silverware next to the counter. Finally, she straightened up and motioned for Mika to follow. The sounds of heavy footfalls on the stairs signaled the oncoming parade of children ready to eat as the two women slipped into a side room just off the kitchen. It appeared to be an office sized breakfast nook with matching cabinetry and desk. She tapped on the desktop's keys then stepped back for Mika to sit.

"See for yourself."

The screen filled with a four way feed from the security cameras stationed around the island. In the top right hand corner, Cheng was riding a bike with Kimiko perched on the handle bars. Passing out of one frame and into another, the kids continued down the road that led to the beach. As the camera zoomed in, Valentina spoke at Mika's back.

"I wasn't spying on them … not exactly. Motion detectors sound out an alarm and activate the cameras. I only reviewed the file. I simply wanted you to see … to look at their faces."

She smiled nodding. Never had she seen Kimiko smile with such utter abandon as she did as they barreled down the hill. From a different cam, she saw them park the bike next to the trees. After what appeared to be an argument, Cheng carried Kimiko down to the water's edge piggy back style. They sat talking for about an hour according to the time stamp before returning to the house.

"At least we know the older ones are adjusting," Mika said turning in the swivel chair.

"No, they are all adjusting," Valentina assured, "each in a different way. Yusa carries one of those throwing stars everywhere she goes which is never far from you or Raizo's side. It will take time but a little normalcy in their lives will go a long way. Now, stop worrying and go down to see Mikhail. He's been in his laboratory all night waiting to talk to you."

Sure enough, Mika found the old bear as his wife affectionately named him, sound asleep at his desk. Quietly, she stepped over to one of the large boards he'd been working on. Studying the printouts and clippings tapped to it, she realized it was setup much like how the analysts and investigators at the agency would. On closer inspection of the photos, she saw they were from the actual case files. Well, of course they are, she thought shaking her head with amusement.

"Don't stare too long, you'll go blind," came a raspy voice.

She turned to the sitting area to see Alexi rubbing sleep from his eyes and rising from the recliner. His leg was healing nicely and only a slight limp remained.

"Morning, you two have been busy," Mika said as he stood at her side.

"Hey, we've made progress but …. All we wind up with is more questions," Alexi ended with a frustrated little growl as he fixated on the board.

"Walk me through them. It always helps me when I'm stumped."

"Okay, let's start with the Bangkok attack. A full assault and extraction team were brought in for what is basically a kidnapping, similar to the kidnappings of the kids that made it back to their families. Those crimes scenes," he said motioning to a set of six photos of burnt out buildings, "also lack any evidence of a 'ninja' style attack, no slashes from a long bladed weapon on the bodies, and no stealth. Once again they level the place extracting their targets and …."

"Destroyed what was left," Mika finished his sentence.

"Exactly, someone was …collecting them then delivered them to their murderer. Based on your friend Maslow's report, the two crime scenes are definitely Clan related," he added grimly

Mika noticed with relief that those photos were not attached to the board. She hadn't been able to bring herself to look at the fate of the children they hadn't been able to save. It was also a terrifying reminder of what would have happened to her kids.

"So the question is how and why are mercenaries doing the Clan's bidding?"

"Exactly," he said obviously excited that she followed him.

"Assuming that what the old woman told Raizo is true. This … Mitsuru has to have deep pockets to afford such operations."

"Or he's one of them," Mika added and received a thoughtful nod from Alexi in response.


	19. Chapter 19

**Apologizes for the long awaited installments and gratitude for those who still follow this story**

Raizo stopped dead on the last step his foot still inches from the laboratory's stone floor as Mika's words struck an unnerving chord. He didn't understand why the thought of one of the Ozuno turning mercenary was so disturbing. The old man had raised them to be assassins, killing in his name and for the honor of his family. The warped ethics of the clan cut with a dose of blood thirsty greed somehow felt all the more vile.

"Someone with those … skills could easily blend into the world of mercenaries," Alexi supplied.

"I dislike the idea but it's a strong possibility," Raizo added with reluctance as he joined the pair.

"What about the name Raizo got from the man in Bangkok, Petriv Maldovo?" Mika asked.

"There we have better progress," Alexi said rolling the board to the left to reveal another.

"We did a deep level search on the name and got nothing. Then on a few name combinations against criminal records which resulted in too many leads."

"But one struck a chord, Petriv Petrovsky," Mikhail said causing them to turn around.

His face was grim as he continued, "I knew the name from my younger years but only by reputation. And it was a nasty one. Not someone you wanted to cross."

"Petrovsky," Mika mumbled under breath.

"We put him aside as a possible," Alexi resumed. "Then got another hit through birth records. 'Peter Maldovo' born to a Ukrainian mother, father listed as unknown. Her death certificate is two weeks after Peter's birth which is the last and only record of him other than criminal ones. There's not much on the mother either but her maiden name was Petrovsky. Her brother is" Alexi paused raising a finger and grinning like a cat cornering a mouse.

"Petriv Petrovsky," Mikhail announced with a dour note.

"We think Peter is using his uncle's name as part of an alias," Alexi added.

"I know that name," Mika persisted.

"I don't doubt it. He's been under numerous Europol investigations," Mikhail affirmed.

"Yes but …."

Abruptly, she stiffened her toffee colored eyes alight with triumph even as they narrowed. She darted over to the large worktable and started rifling through a stack of files.

"His name has come up before," Mika said selecting one and flipping it open.

"Back when I was first developing my theory on the Clans, I was able to find a pattern between several assassinations of government officials and high level members of organized crime that coincided with bank transactions for the amount equivalent to one hundred pounds of gold," she said pulling out a disk and handing it to Mikhail.

"But there were quite a few that broke pattern because I could never find a corresponding payoff," Mika trailed off as a list of file folders appeared on the largest of the monitors lining the wall.

The old man's fingers were nimble as they skimmed over the keys with rapid speed. In seconds, the surrounding monitors were filled with various articles each paired with crime scene photos. Glancing from photo to photo, Raizo agreed they were all Clan style assassinations. Examining them more closely, he grimaced. They were all Ozuno. He wasn't entirely sure how he knew it to be true. But as he restudied each image, the scenes were drenched with the old monster's cold blooded efficiency which he'd instilled in them all.

"I was able to link these murders to Petrovsky's organization. There was a hit on a judge, a criminal turned informant under Police protection, a rival, and the list goes on. It was all based on circumstantial evidence but look at the dates in relation to the list of transactions."

Raizo transferred his attention to a magnified spreadsheet. It appeared that Petrovsky had made Mika's list of transactions with regularity up until ten years ago. However, the articles were as recent as last year. The clatter of the elevator descending did little to disturb the group below as they continued to refine their theory.

"Alright," Mikhail said waving to silence them. "I think we can infer, Petriv Maldovo, is one of Peter's aliases, a twisted homage to his Uncle and at the very least that someone from Ozuno is still working for this bastard's organization."

With a tap, he enlarged the photo of Petriv Petrovsky leaving the image to glare down at them. The man's face was all angles giving his mouth a cruel edge. Deeply sunken malevolent green eyes over hollowed cheeks stared with quiet contempt. A tingle started at the back of Raizo's neck. Ripples of forgotten memory threatened to wash over him deafening out all sound until Valentina's shrill cry burst through the cacophony in his head.

"Yusa…Yusa!"

Valentina and Ivan burst from the elevator cab, terror on their faces pointing up to the steel supports of the elevator. Thirty feet off the ground, the little girl was clinging to a girder. Looking down at them with petrified eyes, her pale face was blank as if a mask had descended hiding her vibrant light. She looked like a little ghost. Raizo joined the chorus as they all shouted up to the child. She didn't move a muscle. He followed her line of sight and felt an icy chill in his gut. Yusa was staring at that cruel face. Raizo raced up the steel beam slowing his progress as he neared her perch. The scent of urine and blood twisted at his heart. Neither unnerved him more than the vacant look in her eyes.

"Raizo," Mika cried anxiously.

"Carfeful, Raizo be very gentle with her," Valentina offered placing a hand on Mika's shoulder.

Softly, he called her name. No response. He tried once more and her features seemed to melt into weary confusion. When her eyes finally focused on him, the mixture of shame and misery welling in them felt like a physical blow to the chest. He pulled Yusa to him hugging her tightly. Raizo descended with care making sure to keep one hand on the metal and the other gripping her securely until reaching the ground.

"Oh, Yusa," Mika murmured hefting the girl into her arms.

She tucked her sweat matted hair beneath her chin cradling the girl. The sight was similar to the one Raizo had awakened to but the differences left him feeling a bit shaken. Spying the shuriken poking from between her fingers, Raizo reached out gently lifting Yusa's hand leaving a trail of tiny crimson droplets staining her pink shirt. She didn't resist when he slipped it from her grasp revealing fresh cuts along the edges of her palm. He held her hand between his healing the little punctures. Looking over Yusa's head, Mika's eyes were full of foreboding as they met his own.

"Come. Let's get her cleaned up," Valentina said in a consoling tone.

Mika acquiesced following her into the elevator cab and up to the house. The four men stood mutely staring after them. As one, their gazes returned to the photo of Petriv Petrovsky with a new deadly intensity.

As Mika carried Yusa to her bedroom, she tried to listen to what the older woman was saying but her brain felt numb. Ultimately, she concentrated on the sound and feel of air passing through Yusa's lungs, the only sign of life in the petite body. Mika was afraid to look into the girl's face, afraid to see that dead eyed stare again but it mattered little. She would never forget it or the tears that had unknowingly glistened in Raizo's eyes.

Entering Yusa's room, Valentina went straight into the adjoining bath and started filling the tub. Mika stopped resting on the bed long enough to remove sneakers and socks. Valentina helped with the remaining clothes and the pair eased Yusa into the tub. For a moment, they watched her sit listlessly among the bubbles before Mika couldn't stand it anymore.

"What's wrong with her?"

"It's shock. Give her a few moments. She'll be fine," the elder woman reassured handing Mika a washcloth before gathering the soiled clothes and slipping out of the door.

As she bathed the little girl, Yusa seemed to slowly come to life. By the time Mika washed the last of the shampoo from her hair, those jade gems were focused on her. Breathe hitching in her throat, she dropped the spray hose in the water and leaned into the tub soaking the bottom of her shirt.

"There you are. You had us worried."

Mika cradled Yusa's face in her palms. She gave a timid nod ducking her eyes. With a deep sigh, Mika planted kisses on Yusa's forehead and cheeks evoking a little squeak of a giggle.

"I adore that sound," Valentina said from the doorway handing over a little terrycloth robe.

Mika agreed as she held it open for Yusa. Obviously feeling herself, the little girl slid into the robe and tied the sash before padding back into her room to bounce on the bed. Mika threw Valentina a cautious glance which she met with a subtle shake of her head and warm smile.

"There's not much wind out today. I think fishing would be a good idea this afternoon. That is one of the rare words that can get Mikhail out of his lab; far more effective than using the word 'fire'," Valentina chuckled as she fussed about on the dresser.

Mika chuckled distractedly as she dried Yusa's hair then dropped the wet towels into the hamper. They continued the banter while Yusa dressed in the clothes Valentina had laid out. They discussed school options for the kids, supplies that would need to be packed for an outing on the sea, anything except for what had transpired in the lab. Eventually, Yusa became engaged in the conversation even growing excited at the prospect of going fishing for the first time. When she was fully dressed, Mika started on the little girl's hair brushing out the tangles.

"How about a little color on your fingers, do you mind, Mika?"

A bit startled at having the question directed at her, it took a moment. Blinded by that little impish smile on the girl's face, Mika readily agreed willing to do just about anything to keep it in place. Yusa selected a rosy pink colored polish and grinned from ear to ear as it was applied to her fingernails. Mika had managed to untangle the wild curls and pull them into ponytails when the girl went rigid. She looked down and saw Valentina examining the bottom of Yusa's foot. Mika knew exactly what the woman was seeing, scars crisscrossing the soles of both little feet.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of your scars, little one. My father used to say that they made a person stronger than others. Made it so they could do things others could not and survive that which would have destroyed someone else. They are badges of survival and strength," Valentina said as she proceeded to apply polish to minute toenails.

"Raizo has lots of scars" Yusa said softly.

"Exactly," Valentina chimed.

"And Mika's got one … Grandpa, Kimi, and Cheng…," Yusa rattled on.

"Yes, you have a very strong family," Valentina said pride in her voice.

"I do," Yusa agreed adamantly.

"Mika, why don't you go downstairs and casually mention the word 'fishing' to the men? I'm sure they will have the boat ready by the time Yusa's nails are dry," Valentina laughed fanning wet polish.

The family spent the afternoon on the sea. Upon returning to shore, the day's catch was grilled on the beach. The bon fire burned late into the night before everyone bid each other goodnight. When sleep claimed Raizo, the smiling faces of those he cared for were at the forefront of his thoughts. Kimi and Cheng were huddled closely laughing with sea spray dampening their hair. Yusa was giggling hysterically as her catch flopped about wildly on the deck. Gustof and Fazid were boasting with Mikhail about catching a whale for dinner and discussing how Grandma would cook such a thing. Darkness crept into his dreams. Joyous expressions morphed into screeches of pain and wails of fear. They stood battered and bruised. Each trussed to bamboo poles corded rope abrading their tender flesh. Their faces were ashen in death their life's blood pooling on the ground at their feet. Raizo bolted upright in bed panting and shivering. He shook his head but dredges of the nightmare still clung to him as he fought to calm his heart. Glancing over to ensure he hadn't woken Mika, Yusa's bright eyes blinked over at him.

"Bad dream?"

Her voice was a soft whisper. He took in the sound and the sight of her alive and whole nestled against Mika's chest for a moment. The last vestiges of the nightmare faded away and his thundering heart slowed. Raizo scooted his pillow down so they were eye to eye then gave her an emphatic nod.

"Me, too," she confessed.

"What was yours about?"

She was quiet for a moment obscuring her face against Mika's white silk night shirt. Her halo of brass colored curls and cherubic face gave him the impression of a mourning angel. For the first time it occurred to him that maybe the old man still haunted her as he had him. Were they all suffering the same?

"About the bad place"

Raizo went still. The 'bad place' not the compound, as they all referred to the Ozuno Camp. His stomach began to churn with disquietude. He glanced at Mika's face and wished she was awake. She would know what to do, what to say.

"That's where he lives," Yusa whispered with an audible gulp.

Raizo knew to whom she referred. He tried not to wince at the stab of pain that lanced his heart. After the events in the lab, the adults all agreed not to broach the subject again with the children so soon. They also hadn't discussed it amongst themselves either though each were aware of the implications.

"He's a … very bad man," her voice cracked on a shudder.

"I know," Raizo nodded solemnly smelling the terror pouring off her like a fever sweat.

"Grandpa and Uncle Alexi … they're looking for him … and … I didn't say anything."

She said it with so much self-loathing on her angelic face that it felt as if his heart had been clamped into a vise. Her voice didn't rise but became shriller as she fought back tears.

"I … couldn't move … it was dumb …I got too scared. I thought … what if he comes … I don't want to go back …"

"No," Raizo uttered louder than he intended causing her to flinch.

"I'm sorry, but no one will take you from us, no one, Yusa. You're safe. Do you believe me?"

"Yes"

Raizo smiled with relief. Her faith and trust in him was staggering and strangely as vital to him as breathing.

"You don't have to talk about …him, anymore …"

"No", she blustered. "I have to …" she paused, uncertainty and embarrassment painted on her face.

"I'm …strong too …Grandma says having scars makes you strong like you and … I can be … really strong. I want to help."

"Yes …" Raizo cleared his throat. "Yes, you are."

He cradled her head against his palm and pressed a kiss into the unruly curls.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. For now, sleep little one."


	20. Chapter 20

There was no training the next morning. The vast clear blue sky of yesterday had darkened to a gloomy overcast to match the task at hand. Mika watched as Yusa grasped Raizo's hand and led them all to the lab. Dread roiling in her stomach, she silently followed. The children were subdued as they made their way down as if they already knew what awaited them below. The old man was at his desk deeply engrossed in his monitor and still managing to argue with Guy who sat reading. The eldest Titus Brothers were muttering and staring intently at a large piece of machinery. All conversations stopped when the men glanced at the group gathered around the base of the stairs.

"Mikhail, bring up the photo of Petrovsky," Raizo requested walking over to the old man's desk.

He gave him a long look then nodded gravely. Mikhail turned his gaze to Yusa. Her face was pale but her eyes were back to their usual brilliant jade. Mikhail plucked her up and perched her on the arm of his chair. He wrapped a protective arm around her then pulled up the same image from yesterday. Yusa's nervous gasp was loud in the dead silent room. Mika fought the need to cease this. She wasn't sure if it was right to make Yusa go through this. She would have demanded they stop if Yusa had not insisted, no begged to help.

"You've seen this man before, haven't you, Princess?"

Yusa gave a jerky nod.

"At the Ozuno compound?"

"No from before"

"Where was this?

She gave him a pained look and shrugged in reply. Mikhail's eyes closed disgust cutting across his features for an instant before he managed a comforting smile. The little girl's gaze slid to the others and Mika did her best to push the same supportive smile onto her face.

Nodding thoughtfully, Mikhail asked, "and this man was there?"

"Yes, he was … the boss. That's what they called him."

"Who called him that?"

"The guards, the other kids, everyone called him boss except Fa…Master Ozuno."

There was a shocked silence that rippled amongst the adults during which Mika unconsciously clasped Raizo's hand. He gave hers a comforting squeeze but she noted that his hand was cold and clammy. She gave him a quick sidelong glance. His breathe had quickened and a fine sheen of sweat coated his forehead.

"It sounds like a big place with lots of people. What did you do there?" Mikhail continued with a mild note of curiosity.

"At first … uh, I just stayed in my box …but then when I wasn't so clumsy I got to clean, serve food and drinks."

'Box', Mika screamed the word in her mind and her heart ached at Yusa's matter of fact tone. She wasn't the only one shaken by it. Ivan radiated disgust turning away and shaking his head as if he couldn't bear to listen to the little voice. Alexi reached up putting a hand on his older brother's shoulder tugging so that he leaned down. Younger whispered to the elder and Ivan seemed to reign in his anger. When he turned back, Ivan had performed a partial smile though it looked brittle and ready to crumble.

"Is that how you met Master Ozuno? Mikhail inquired uttering the title without a sneer.

"Yes, I was chosen to serve dinner for an important guest. I liked being picked, serving was much better than cleaning or digging. You got to wash then, with soap and wear a clean uniform. He was the guest."

"I see, so they were friends?"

Yusa's face scrunched up before she answered, "I don't think Boss has friends, but I don't know. I think Master Ozuno was mad at the Boss."

"Why do you say that?"

She merely shrugged. Undeterred, Mikhail changed tactics learning more about the size and scope of the place where she was held. However, her memory was sketchy regarding any details on the actual location.

"Yusa, you are a very brave little girl. Thank you for this little talk," Mikhail praised giving her a squeeze and kiss on the forehead.

"Did I help?"

"Yes, you did," he affirmed lowering her to stand.

Mika wanted to scoop the little girl up and hold her tight. Instead, she remained rooted to the spot with fresh tears on her cheeks. Thankfully, Ivan had composed himself and swept Yusa up to sit on his shoulder.

"Come on warrior princess. Let's see what sweets Grandma's been baking. Come on boys," Ivan suggested motioning to Gustof and Fazid as he headed for the elevator.

Both boys hesitated but followed after a gentle nudge from Cheng. The only sounds in the silence were the mechanical squeals and pings of the elevator ascending and Ivan informing the kids of where Grandma hid her various cookie jars as they rose out of sight. The silence grew heavy and Mika found herself needing to lean against Mikhail's desk to take a full breath. She'd read the file Europol had compiled on Yusa. There wasn't much, no date of birth or full name were available. Medical examinations were how they determined her to be between the ages of five and seven, and that she'd suffered malnutrition and physical abuse. Reading it was nothing compared to hearing Yusa describe it.

"Well…" Mikhail began his voice gruff and Mika glimpsed tears in the old man's eyes before he swept them away with a handkerchief.

Clearing his throat, he started again, "We know Ozuno and Petrovsky had a …business arrangement. That's our connection."

"Poor kid got passed from one bastard to another, not sure which one was worse. Do either of you know this man?" Alexi turned directing the question at Kimiko and Cheng.

The pair had taken up seats on the stairs Kimiko's crutches between them. They'd been silently observing as if hoping none of the adults would remember they were still present and both were startled at suddenly being included in the conversation. She shook her head but Cheng's face folded into a thoughtful frown before he grudgingly agreed.

"No … but … listening to her nightmares, it feels like I do."

In a rare show of affection, Kimiko ran a hand down his forearm to grasp his hand in hers. They exchanged a long portent look that seemed to convey volumes but lasted less than a minute. Finally, Kimiko gave Cheng a supportive smile that left his cheeks a rosy hue.

"I've heard her speak of the Boss before," he offered turning his eyes back to the group. "Others too, but she was the last Master Ozuno brought back from the pits."

"The pits?" Alexi asked with a scowl.

The boy shrugged.

"I don't know where it is only that he would take a trip in the spring and return with new 'brothers and sisters.' They were usually … more banged up than the others but they were handpicked, always his favorites."

His expression tightened aging him to a battle worn thirty as he continued. Their intertwined hands gripped tighter as if prepping for an onslaught.

"He told me available stock proved fruitless but he'd accepted her as a petty attempt at appeasement for a debt owed for dishonoring him. He took her as an insult. I think he said she … uh, spilled something or was accused of causing the Boss to, so …Yusa managed to evade three of his men. The Master was impressed."

"Forgive me son. But, why would he tell you all of this?" Mikhail inquired kindly.

"He said she was already so strong willed. He thought … she'd run."

Frustrated and confused, Mika glanced at the others. Mikhail and Alexi appeared as baffled as she by the explanation but knowing glances passed between Raizo and Cheng. Mika gave him a bewildered arch of her brows.

"He was prepping Cheng for the hunt if anyone ran, thereby dishonoring the bastard. Anyone who left the clan was to be hunted down by his chosen few, brought back, and … put to death," Raizo finished with such a mournful tone that it spoke of familiarity.

Mika's mouth fell open in abject horror. She froze for a moment her mind needing time to digest the atrocities that … that monster had committed and the damage he'd inflicted. Finally in control of her faculties, Mika noticed the way Cheng was watching her like a starved animal waiting to be shooed away. Their fiercely linked hands now posed more meaning, one of solidarity and unity. If one was forced to leave, they would both go. That's what they thought, that they might be cast out; Mika felt tears sting her eyes. Words failed her at the moment with her throat and mind so clogged with emotions she felt a little crazy. But, she refused to fail to rise when needed again.

Mika crossed the room and pulled Cheng into a tight hug which he quickly reciprocated with a desperation that brought more tears. What would have become of this tender hearted kid if that creature had had his way? Instead of preying on his siblings, Cheng had become an attentive and protective older brother to Yusa and the boys and was obviously in love with the young woman at his side. He was the complete opposite of the path forced upon him.

Pulling back to cup Cheng's chin in her palm, Mika said, "I'm proud of you."

"You, too," she told Kimiko and planted a kiss to the girl's forehead.

Straightening, Mika said, "come on, let's head upstairs. I'm sure Valentina will be down here soon. It must be near lunchtime."

"I'll join you," Mikhail announced following as they walked towards the elevator.

Raizo watched as the group piled into the cab. Hungry for a glimpse of the tender smile he craved, the sight of Mika's sweet face twisted into a pained grimace left him perplexed and uncertain. Melancholy seemed to wash over her as he remained locked on her expression while they rose out of sight. Alexi had walked up to his side while Raizo's focus was on the elevator cab. He made a curious noise in his throat like one trying to assess a situation.

"Either she's upset or … you're in the shithouse, little brother."

"Probably both," Raizo confirmed with a self-depreciating bow of his head.

"Don't worry. You two will make it up. You and Mika are nearly as besotted as Cheng and Kimiko. It's a wonder I can keep any food down at all," Alexi finished with a sardonic smile to which Raizo answered with smirk.

The sound of the upper gates sliding open floated down to them. They remained silent both listening to the others enter the basement room of the house above. Alexi's teasing mood abated, he sat at the computer. He pulled up a map of the Japan and Raizo was pleased to know they were already thinking along the same lines.

"He only used ground transportation in and out of the compound. The fact that he only went in the spring… Petrovsky's slave camp must be somewhere in these mountains or along the coast," Raizo muttered tracing his finger over the map as he continued to study each new possibility that fit.

"You want this guy, bad."

Raizo leaned back realizing he was hunched over the map like a man searching for the last source for water. There was a new fury burning in his gullet. Then an unsettling thought clouded his mind. Maybe he was becoming a man obsessed with vengeance, never able to enjoy life unless in pursuit of one worthy of his wrath. The sound of Yusa's pitiable sobs from last night echoed across his every thought erasing any doubts. Raizo fixed Alexi with cold menace glinting in his onyx eyes.

"I want his head on a pike."

"I'll get to work, then," Alexi replied returning the wicked grin.

It was nearly an hour later before Raizo realized Mika had not returned. He entered the kitchen and found it brimming with people finishing lunch. Scanning the room and house for her scent or the sound of her, he frowned at her absence. Passing through the kitchen, he focused his senses out further up to the house but still nothing. A little frisson of panic was starting to blossom when Valentina stepped into the hallway blocking his path. He started to question her when she merely signaled him to follow which he obeyed. She moved into a small office and pointed towards a monitor atop a wooden desk. The image was in black and white and showed Mika in strange tones of gray as she walked along the shoreline alone unhappiness in her every move.

"She came up earlier, checked on Yusa and the boys then slipped out the door."

The urge to be at her side was a feverish compulsion. Raizo looked up from the image to meet the old woman's expectant eyes.

"Good," she assented with a wan smile. "I'll see to it the two of you have a bit of privacy."

The stagnant gray pallet of the security feed had not done the sight of Mika meandering down the beach an ounce of justice. The sun drew the reddish tones of her hair out to bask in the light as it blew on the breeze. Sunlight turned her caramel skin to a warm vibrant bronze along her slender arms and toned legs revealed by the pale yellow sundress. She stood with her arms bound tightly around her middle in agitation and staring off into the sea as if lost in an ocean of her own worries. Raizo walked up to stand at her side making as much noise as possible so as not to startle. They stood together eyes cast seaward with the water lapping around their feet for several long minutes before he broke the silence.

"Mika, I understand if you're still mad at me for this morning. Yusa and I …"

"I'm not mad at you for that," she replied quickly and started off down the beach.

"No?" he questioned a little confused as he caught up to her petite yet quick strides.

"She wanted to talk about it… no, she needed to so you helped her. I wouldn't stop Yusa from doing whatever she needs to do to heal," Mika stated her voice possessing an almost desperate edge to it.

"Ok, good…so … I'm not in a shithouse?" Raizo inquired eager to confirm he wasn't the source of this feeling of turmoil he felt from her.

He nearly tripped over her when she stopped dead. H knocked into her and Mika almost toppled face first into the water and sand if not for him snaking an arm around her waist.

"What?" she guffawed turning to him with a bewildered tilt to the corners of her mouth.

It wasn't even a grin but it was the closest he'd seen to a genuine smile from her all day. The sight was like a diver taking a deep breath after a long struggle to the surface. Raizo sighed drawing her even tighter against him. He skimmed his thumb along her jaw capturing her gaze with his own.

"What's troubling you? Please tell me."

Mika opened her mouth for a quick retort but the words seemed to die in her throat. With solemn eyes, she studied his face then brought her hand up to mimic his caress.

"Okay. Let's find a place to talk," she whispered.

"Over here," he exclaimed leading her a little further down the beach.

They continued to where the strip of sand ended at a large outcropping of coral that extended into the sea. Walking between a pair of smaller boulders, they emerged onto a narrow inlet of beach secluded from all but a passing boat or a soaring bird. On the sand at the base of the wall of rock, a red blanket was spread out and bearing a picnic basket. Mika's eyes narrowed as she took it in and looked over at him. Raizo simply mumbled 'Valentina' to which she did actually smile but it promptly dissolved no sooner that it'd formed.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said holding her hand tight in his.

Sighing wearily, she said, "honestly …that I'm ashamed of myself."

A rebuttal fast on his lips, Mika cut him off by pressing her fingertips to quiet him. She stepped free of his arms and took a deep breath readying for a plunge in a way that made Raizo's stomach churn again.

"I wasn't upset with either of you this morning… it was more … upset with myself. I sat there and listened to that little girl tell everyone about what happened to her. She was determined to do it no matter how scare it made her. She was brave enough to tell but I wasn't."

He said nothing only waited for her to continue.

"When I was eight years old, my parents died in a plane crash. I wound up in foster care for six years before my grandfather was able to find me and petition the courts for custody. During that time some places were bad, some were worse. The last one was … pretty bad. They believed in discipline by fist… and worse. I thought I was dreaming when Grandpere came for me. He'd been looking for years; every foster kid's dream to be whisked away by long lost parents or in my case a paternal grandfather intent on finding his only living relative. He took me to live with him in Paris and I never told a soul about what'd happened till now. It wasn't until I tried to look up some of my girlfriends from foster care a few years later that I learned … The couple's house had burned down months after I left. All of the kids' I'd known were dead."

Raizo began to shake his head in denial even as she barreled on.

"If I'd said something maybe they'd have been in jail and everyone … they'd be alive now."

"Stop, Mika. You can't do this. You were a child and I'm the last person to cast blame on a child for surviving."

She appeared unfazed by his words. He tried again solely with the intent of shocking her out of this bout of self-pity.

"If I'd taken my father's place as head of the family, I wouldn't have most of their blood on my hands now."

Mika swung around as if she'd been backhanded. There were no tears in her eyes now only righteous indignation on his behalf.

"Would you allow me to carry that on my conscious?"

Shuddering out a sigh, her features relaxed and she gave a little head shake.

"No, I wouldn't allow it," she admitted with a resigned smirk.

Relived by her change in body language, Raizo swept her up so her toes dangled above the water while he brought his lips down on hers. The kiss was sweet, a soft glide of lips and tongue that made him greedy for more. He plied her with long drugging kisses as he walked her backwards to the wall. Testing the surface and finding it rubbed smooth by the repeated tides, he leaned her against the stone then lowered his mouth to swipe his tongue over her jugular.

"We can't, not here," Mika shivered clutching at him.

"Perfect spot, no security cameras here …"

He planted a kiss along her throat enjoying her little gasp of pleasure.

"No line of sight from the houses," he breathed against her skin then lowered his lips to her clavicle.

"No kids listening … besides we're supposed to have make-up sex."

Mika laughed, "What? You have to have had a fight or …Wait …Who told you about make-up sex?"

Pausing as he slid her straps off her shoulders, he answered quickly, "Fast learner, remember."

Something in his voice must have given him away because she stilled his hand that was creeping beneath the dress and up her bare thigh. She fixed him with a sultry bat of her lashes that had him promptly telling all.

"Mikhail. He said it was a rule," Raizo confessed like one proudly imparting knowledge.

Female laughter bounced of the surrounding stone. It was quickly replaced by the sounds of labored breathing, the slap of flesh on flesh, and the whispered moans of lovers intertwined.


	21. Chapter 21

Mika had to admit it. She kind of liked the feel of the sun beating down on her skin. She tried to work up a little shame at the fact that they were both lying bare ass naked on the beach. Considering how good she felt at the moment, Mika couldn't even summon a blush.

"We should probably get up and put our clothes on."

Raizo groaned in disapproval spooning up behind her to prevent her from rising by resting a leg over her thigh. His lips were cool against the sun baked skin at her throat and a clever hand was skimming lightly over her stomach. The wanton purr that rumbled in his throat and her immediate ready response had her eyes popping wide.

"Again? What's gotten into us? We're like a pair of horny monkeys."

"Not sure, all I know is I can't seem to keep my hands off," he admitted exhibiting the fact by propping up on one elbow and skating a hand up to cup her breast.

"You better or we won't have the strength afterwards to move when the tide comes in. Plus if the children find me passed out naked, you will be in a shithouse. Who taught you that one, Ivan or Alexi?"

Abruptly, Raizo lifted his head and went still in a way that told her his sensitive ears had been alerted. Mika rose automatically and retrieved their clothes shaking off the sand.

"What? Is it one of the kids?" Mika asked pulling the dress down over her hips.

"No," he said pausing in the act of putting on his shirt. "It's Ivan … something's wrong."

They'd crossed the beach and were passing through a field of small shrubs that grew alongside the road when Ivan pulled up in the jeep. The vehicle had barely come to a stop before he'd leapt out.

"Mika, you left your phone in the lab. Maslow called. He didn't sound good."

They quickly piled in and Ivan took off at such speed that Mika promptly fastened her seatbelt. He performed a skillful two point turn on the narrow road then accelerated back towards the house.

Gripping the shoulders of the front seats, she leaned forward and asked, "What do you mean? How did he sound?"

"I don't know. Father talked to him, said he was ranting and swearing about a crime scene and to find you both."

Raizo turned slightly askew in the passenger seat his eyes finding hers. Within reflected the same anxiety she felt grinding in her gut. They journeyed in silence until reaching the house. Mika heard strange voices echoing off the stone walls as they walked into the lab. Mikhail who was manning his usual station before the computers pressed a finger to his lips. Confused, it gave her pause long enough to make out Ryan's voice, a little muffled but definitely him. She heard a litany of murmured voices as if he was passing through a crowd of people then the sound of retching grew loud.

"No worries, Gunterson, at least you didn't puke on the scene," jeered a high pitched nasal voice.

"Good job, newbie."

"Uh … Sir, the forensic unit is already upstairs," sputtered another voice.

"Rough scene?" Ryan asked his voice unusually gruff.

"Sir, Gunterson wasn't the only one to lose his dinner," was the reply accompanied by the sound of hard soled shoes crossing a stone floor.

"Has the coroner arrived yet?"

"Ten minutes ago. The man was a right bastard but even he didn't deserve that. Watch your step up there, Maslow. It's a bloody mess."

"Thanks for the warning."

After the swish of metal, Mikhail tapped a few keys then announced, "Detective, Mika and Raizo are here now."

"Ryan, what's going on?" Mika interjected.

"Got a call…," he paused. With a mad half laugh half sigh, he said, "Its Jameson, Mika. He's dead."

"What?"

"They got him at his flat. I'm on my way up to the scene."

The group in the lab exchanged shocked looks. Mika was unable to speak, a flurry of questions tumbling around in her brain. Over the speaker, the faint ding of the elevator could be heard followed by Ryan talking to someone, the sound echoing around what sounded like a large space. Alexi was the first to find his voice.

"What do you mean by 'they', Mercenaries or Clan?"

Ryan's sharp inhalation was replaced with a disquieting silence. Then, Mika felt her blood run cold as ice listening to her old friend while he fought to catch his breath.

Wetting her lips, she called softly, "Ryan?"

"I'd say it was Clan," he answered with a ragged inhalation.

"How do you know?" Ivan retorted unconsciously shaking his head in denial.

"It's …uh, hang on."

They heard muffled noises for a few minutes before Ryan continued.

"Mikhail, I just sent…"

"I've got them," the old man said cutting Maslow short.

"What?" Mika interrupted her nerves ready to snap.

"He's sent us shots from the crime scene. Sweet Zeus"

As the photos filled the monitors, Mika felt bile rise up in her throat. Pressing one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach, she fought the urge to heave. The opulent room where Jameson had died or rather been butchered was splattered with blood. The once cream colored sofa was now completely crimson and amid the stained cushions was what remained of the man, a torso. His hands, arms, feet, and legs were stacked atop the coffee table like cordwood. The frozen expression of abject terror on Jameson's face made one thing clear. He'd survived to witness the separation of each of his limbs. The burgundy blossom on his white shirt directly over the heart was most likely the final killing blow.

Ryan said, "I'm guessing Clan. What do you think?"

"I'd agree," Raizo said with a nod.

"That doesn't make sense though. Why would they go after Jameson?" Ivan fumed. "What for? He was under investigation and probably about to be fired."

"Don't forget. The man was a loose end. Maybe they were worried he'd talk to save his ass, give up information on them," Alexi offered.

"They've remained in obscurity for hundreds of years. I doubt Jameson would have known anything to endanger them."

"Mikhail's right," Ryan added, "he was a supplier of info. Not someone they would have trusted with anything."

"You don't go through the trouble of cutting a man into pieces while he's still alive unless you want him to talk," Ivan said throwing up his arms. "They wanted something from him. Or else why not stab him in the heart to start with? Why torture the bastard?"

"That or they wanted him to suffer. I'd say whoever it was more than accomplished that," Alexi replied.

Swallowing convulsively, Mika turned away from the monitors. Taking deep breaths, she placed a hand on the desk to steady herself. Mikhail gave her a curious look but she waved his concern away before he spoke. Her regained composure was shattered by Raizo's next words.

"Maslow, did Jameson still have access to active case files or was it revoked?

"Bloody Hell, Ryan," Mika shouted. "Tell me his clearance was cancelled when he was brought up for internal investigation."

"Uh, it's standard procedure, of course," Ryan stammered his voice filled with uncertainty.

"But he was a Section Chief, Head of the damn Task Force, would they still enforce that procedure," Alexi probed rushing around to sit next to his father at the computer console.

Ryan's silence was heavy with implications. It seemed Mika's heart was racing at the same speed as her brain.

"Mikhail, slip back into Europol's network and check to see if Jameson accessed any files in the last few days."

"Shit, anyone could have done it for him as a favor," Ryan added. "Check if anyone has accessed the files for the Ozuno children."

With a nod, Mikhail began banging away on his keyboard his face growing tight with dismay.

"Nothing under his access code, looks like procedure was followed …but …the files were accessed, yesterday. The login was for a Cybil Ballard."

"That's Jameson's fucking admin. She had to have done it at his request," Ryan spat in a harsh whisper. "Which files?"

Reading over his father's shoulder, Alexi said, "Relocation order 581-2715 was accessed."

"Wait, that's … the one I submitted … to relocate last the group of children," Ryan said numbly. Then repeated, "I submitted that."

"Oh my God," Mika uttered, "he's still going after them."

Black poppies of rage blossomed in Raizo's brain obliterating thought and logic. All he could see in his mind's eye were the children's faces he recalled from childhood bloated in death and beaten or lashed to a pole.

"No"

The voice was as quiet as it was menacing and took him a few seconds to realize it had come from him. The others were staring at him but his eyes sought only Mika. Tears sparkled in her eyes but there was steel in her gaze as well.

"Where are they now, Ryan?" she asked.

Breathing heavily as if running, Ryan replied, "Taipei, they should've arrived a few hours ago and already met up with the additional security detail. I'll check their status. Call you back."

The next several minutes were the longest of his life. Unmoving, they stood in silence each dreading and praying the phone would ring. From above came the sound of the elevator. He could hear Kimiko and Cheng chatting as the pair rolled food carts into the cab. The trio of younger children laughed racing down the stairs to beat the others to the lab below. Yusa was the first to sense the mood of the adults. She skidded to a halt at the base of the stairs, the grin on her face disappearing like smoke on the wind. Fazid and Gustof nearly ran into the back of her stopping on the last step looks of worry replacing their smiles. Valentina, Kimiko, and Cheng were exiting the elevator when the call finally came. Mikhail hit the button and the sound of Maslow's choppy breaths came through the speakers. Instantly, Raizo knew they were too late.

"Ryan"

"Christ, Mika… they were in transit when the attack happened."

"What happened …are they…?"

Mika trailed off unable to voice the fear that was also at the forefront of Raizo's mind.

"The fuckers blew the tires on the transport vehicle, opened fire in broad daylight in the middle of rush hour traffic. We lost half of the escorting agents. The survivors are being triaged at the scene now. I'm waiting on more info but it was confirmed …we lost two kids. They were loaded into a van during the fire fight. I'm sorry Mika. They're gone."

"You think it was mercenaries," Alexi interjected.

"Definitely," Maslow replied. "It was a blitz attack, kidnapping, and it fits the pattern."

"Mitsuro couldn't have made it to Taiwan that soon," Ivan mumbled to himself, a distant look on his face as if he were calculating flight times in his head.

Alexi snorted, "He didn't have too. Once he had the location, one phone call would be all it took to activate his fellow mercenaries."

Clearing his throat, Mikhail interrupted, "the question now is to what location were they taken?"

"He's right," Mika agreed. "This Mitsuro will have to meet with the extraction team to retrieve the children. If it fits his prior pattern, we have only a few days before…"

Though the words were left unsaid, an unsettling quiet descended as the full impact of the situation struck them all like a hammer blow.

"We need more information or maybe we overlooked something," Mika continued while wringing her hands anxiously. "We need to review the forensic reports from the two scenes, check for any hits on the EUROPOL watch list of any known associates for either Petrovsky or Maldovo as well as any bank transactions or wires, uh, any info gathered from the scenes in Bangkok. There's something we're missing."

She continued listing reports and naming various sources they could tap for useful intel, the look of stark terror transforming into one of uncompromising determination. Her commands activated a rush of motion as if her will were fueling the others. Maslow hung up promising to call back with any updates. Ivan pulled out a crate and began loading assault rifles and magazine clips into a large duffle. Alexi snatched up his cell to have the plane prepped and ready to fly. Mikhail was nodding vigorously as he tapped into cyberspace hacking into secured networks for anything that would help. Fazid and Gustof joined Ivan watching closely as he dismantled a few of the machine pistols for cleaning. Cheng and Kimiko assisted Valentina with the food cart passing out plates and silverware at her insistence.

For the first time since he'd claimed his life as his own, Raizo felt truly helpless. The feeling left a foul and bitter taste in his mouth. He watched his family scrambling around with shared purpose and tried to slow his rapidly increasing heartbeat. The conversation with Lady Ozuno kept replaying over and over in his mind. He had to have known this boy possibly before he was twisted into a sadistic killer. Ozuno had liked to pit his favorites against one another. So the monster's spawn was in his memory somewhere. He knew what needed to be done. It was the only thing he could do. Regardless of what it did to him, he would do it. Raizo spied Guy sitting atop a stool at the table in the far corner. The bespectacled man shifted nervously as he approached.

"What did you learn from the scroll?"

Guy gave a little sigh of relief then smiled cautiously.

"After careful study, I determined the document was primarily a procedural document on rules and … their subsequent punishments as deemed by the Clan. Nothing you have not lived through."

"Anything about a location?"

His posture straightened at the question. With an inquisitive lift of his brow, Guy shook his head. Razio had known the answer but cowardice had made him ask anyway. He took a deep breath squaring his shoulders.

"I don't remember all I've lived through. That is a problem. Can you help me?"

All movement and chatter ceased within the lab. Raizo didn't need his senses to feel everyone was now focused on him. Guy glanced anxiously at the others, no doubt concentrating on Mikhail. With an audible gulp, he agreed. Raizo pivoted to face his family taking in their apprehensive expressions.

"I want to remember this bastard's face. I need to remember."

Mika couldn't stop fidgeting so she switched to pacing the lab her attention centered on Guy as he prepared Raizo for hypnosis. She wasn't sure how she felt about the idea. On one hand, she was a little pissed off that he would subject himself to this right now considering the strain she knew was already weighing on him. On the other hand, he had a point. They'd thought the other children were safe in Europol's hands now that the organization knew about the threat. Mika finally understood something that Raizo had probably known from the beginning. The only blanket of safety they could provide came in the form of body bags for anyone involved. Shocking her to know that not only was she strangely comfortable with it, she demanded it.

"Uh, you are uh …familiar with meditation?" Guy asked in a tremulous voice jittery eyes casting Mikhail a sidelong glance.

At Raizo's nod, Guy seemed to steady himself. He removed a handkerchief from his back pocket and swept it over his sopping forehead before continuing.

"Alright then, this is how we will proceed. Put yourself into a meditative state. I will assist you into a deeper state of consciousness."

Raizo nodded. He immediately began to remove his shirt and shoes. Dropping a pillow to the stone floor, he sat in a kneeling position.

"Valentina, would you check pulse and heart rate then note the results during the procedure?"

The matriarch promptly grabbed her kit. Passing her husband, she dropped a kiss on his cheek before attending to the task. Mikhail merely grumbled under his breath as he had since they'd all been stunned by Raizo's request. The old man sighed and returned his attention to the computers. Mika joined him at the desk pulling out her old research notes on Petrovsky. She started reviewing every scrap with the hope that she had overlooked something, anything that would help them. After several annoyed sighs from Guy and a chuckle from Mikhail, Mika looked up to see Guy staring professorially at Raizo like he was a perplexing problem to be solved. One of the prepaid cell phones rang and Mika snatched it up.

"Anything new?"

Maslow sounded like he'd been a victim of an assault and battery case. She could barely recognize his mumbling voice let alone comprehend a single word he was uttering.

Trying not to disturb what was happening across the room, she whispered harshly into the phone.

"What!"

"Hang on, switch to vid."

A few seconds passed before the image of Ryan at the wheel of his car filled her screen. He had obviously mounted the phone on the dash and was still driving without the use of his hands. He was holding a bucket of chips to his mouth while eating and texting on a different cell phone with the steering wheel gripped between his thighs.

"What the Hell are you doing? Are you trying to get in an accident?"

"Mika, you don't need to worry about me," Ryan said after completing the text. "I don't have anything new on a location but I've got more info, thought it was worth a call."

"Of course but … where are you driving to like a maniac hot out of the asylum?"

"Part of why I called. First, there might be a hit on that name, Peter Maldovo. Appears someone from the CIA was viewing security footage of a checkpoint out of Songshan Airport and noticed him. I'm awaiting the video but I'll pass it on when I do."

"No need Dectective, I'm watching it now," Mikhail added cheerfully.

On screen, Ryan shook his head but there was a weary smile on his face.

"Anyway, he slid through security and boarded a flight to Tokyo International under the name Peter Morton. Also, the reason for my creative driving techniques, I got a call from the morgue. Former head of Europol gets a push to the front of the dead line, a fucking disgrace or not. It seems he was alive through most of the … cutting. Cause of death was a fatal stab to the heart with a long bladed weapon. Some of the wounds were cauterized so the poor bastard wouldn't bleed out too soon. His wife just left the morgue. Poor woman had to identify that body as her husband. For fuck sake Mika, I didn't see this coming. I never thought they'd go after Jameson."

"Neither did he apparently. Now he's dead. There was nothing you could have done."

"I know. You're right. There was one strange finding. His wife couldn't ID the watch he was wearing. By the light bruising around the wrist, the coroner doesn't think its Jameson's watch at all. I was on my way to a flight to Taipei to interview survivors when I got his call. I'll send you the picture he took."

"Okay, thanks. How are the survivors? Have you figured out who was taken?" Mika asked trying to keep her voice low despite her frayed nerves.

"All of them have various cuts and scrapes from the explosion but there are a few severe cases. The older male sustained two gunshot wounds but is listed as fair. One teenage boy suffered a broken arm, another one, a dislocated shoulder. Those kids fought when the shit started flying. A teenage girl and a boy, maybe nine years old, were the ones taken at the scene. Sadly, that's all I've got on my end. What about you?"

Mika was about to tell him about the plan to hypnotize Raizo. There was a mournful bay like a cross between a wail of pain and cry of despair. She bolted out of her chair her eyes fixing on him.

"What the bloody Hell was that?"

Mika distantly heard Ryan's question but her next word served as both answer and plea.

"Raizo"


End file.
